Happy Days Childrens Centre
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Pontefract for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2022. Open since 2000, with 83 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Wakefield
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wakefield from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
WF9 2UJWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 1 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and ready to learn at this welcoming and friendly setting.
They develop strong relationships with the caring staff and show that they feel safe and secure in their care. Children are confident and have fun as they become engaged in activities. They respond positively to staff's requests and instructions, for example when they are reminded to share and to be kind. Children quickly learn to recognise when the daily routines are about to happen. For example, they confidently choose their cushions or mats, ready to comfortably settle for music time.
Staff encourage children to develop a love of reading. Children are eager to guess what the story is about based on the title and cover of the book. Staff use effective questioning techniques which support children to predict what will happen next.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- further develop children's independence skills by encouraging them to manage simple tasks for themselves - make better use of staff supervision to support staff to develop the consistency of their teaching skills n support staff to raise their interactions and engagement with children to a consistently high level so that they benefit more from quality play experiences.
- 1 March 2022Good
- 5 May 2016Outstanding
- 7 March 2012Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Happy Days Childrens Centre
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.