The Railway Children
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Ilkley for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2023. Open since 2015, with 51 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 Bradford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bradford 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
LS29 6JHWhat 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, 31 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Being outdoors is of high importance at this setting, and children explore their local community, getting muddy and wet. Staff and children enjoy jumping in puddles, exploring their natural world. These experiences allow children to develop their large-muscle skills. Older children experience den making. Children learn how to tie different knots, using a mallet to secure pegs in place.
Children experience awe and wonder as staff cover their legs and feet in sand and tickle their toes. Young children laugh and smile, watching sand fall through the colander onto their bodies. Being imaginative is of high importance with children, and they enjoy role-play activities. For example, when children dress up, they say,
'I'm a witch. I have a wand; I will turn you into a frog.' Children enjoy spending time in the home corner, making 'breakfast' for their peers.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- further develop the quality of staff interactions with younger children to ensure that learning experiences are enjoyable, challenging and purposeful and enhance their learning even further.
- 31 March 2023Good
- 14 September 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Railway Children
- 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.