Wooldale Early Care and Education Centre
Good★ 3.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Northampton 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 August 2022. Open since 2004, with 48 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 West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN4 6TPWhat 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.
- 14 September 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 2 August 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children have a wonderful time at Wooldale Day Nursery. They are greeted at the door by warm, friendly staff. Staff work well to meet the individual needs of children as they arrive and settle for the day. Babies are handled with great care and consideration as they separate from their parents into the care of the dedicated baby room team. Toddlers and pre-school children eagerly run to their playrooms to find their friends and explore the wide range of activities available to them. The relationships between staff and children are very positive, which helps children to feel safe.
Children enjoy being active outdoors. Babies playfully explore parachute games with staff and their giggles attract pre-school children who rush to see what they are doing. Three-year olds toss balls out of cones, shouting, 'It's high in the sky.', before chasing the ball and scooping it up. Four-year olds enjoy an exercise session where they pretend to be plants, growing from the ground and finish by making the tree yoga pose.
Staff have high expectations of children and, consequently, children's behaviour is very good. Positive interactions with staff contribute to children's learning, and support babies and children to understand and manage their own behaviour. All children, including the youngest babies, are learning to be kind to their friends.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- give children the time and opportunity to explore how to use toys and resources to their own satisfaction n further develop children's independence skills by consistently allowing them to carry out tasks by themselves.
- 2 August 2022Good
- 26 February 2015Outstanding
- 3 March 2014Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Wooldale Early Care and Education 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.