URN 2654093 · Inspected 2026-09-08 · Published 2026-10-12 · Inspector: Josephine Heath
Castle House Nursery School Unique reference number (URN): 2654093 Address: Castle House School, Chetwynd End, NEWPORT, TF10 7JE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/09/2021 Registers: EYR Registered person: Castle House School Trust Ltd Inspection report: 8 September 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard All children typically progress well from their starting points. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. Children build on skills in communication and language throughout the nursery. Babies and toddlers enjoy group time where they can join in with familiar songs and listen to and share age-appropriate books with staff. Pre-school children build on their speaking and listening abilities to develop their literacy skills. For example, they give meaning to the marks they make and learn to write for specific purposes. Pre-school children progress particularly well and are highly prepared for the eventual move on to school. They develop confidence, independence and real motivation for learning during their time at the nursery. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff build positive relationships with all children, as they spend time getting to know them well when they start. Those working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities develop close bonds. Overall children are happy, settled and content when attending. Staff prioritise babies' individual daily routines and adapt these to support children's changing needs. For example, staff rapidly recognise when babies are tired or finished eating. Staff act swiftly to adapt the environment and meet babies' needs throughout the day. Leaders recognise there is work to do in the toddler room in order to get the balance in the daily routine right. Staff working with toddlers do not always give them clear directions about what is happening now and next in the daily routine. As a result, transition times are not always smooth and occasionally take too long, leading some toddlers to become easily frustrated. Pre-school children benefit from a very calm and relaxed environment. Staff encourage them to develop positive behaviours and, as a result, they are motivated to work together with their peers. For example, they spend a long time building a lengthy train track. They keenly share their ideas and take turns to lay the pieces without the need for staff intervention or support. Pre-school children sit and listen to staff intently. They are excited by the activities available to them and, as a result, their attitudes to learning are positive. Leaders promote and ensure punctuality and attendance. Any absences are diligently followed up on, and support is provided where required to ensure children continue to attend. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard The nursery's key-person system is effective. Staff know children well and have positive relationships with them. This helps children to settle quickly and become familiar and confident attending, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Babies and young children seek reassurance from key staff who offer them lots of cuddles and comfort when required. Risk assessment is effective. Staff understand their role in keeping children safe when navigating the vast outdoor spaces available to them. For example, when pre-school children practise the physical adventure trail, staff encourage them to take risks in a well-managed way. This helps children to begin to understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff who work with babies and young children know and understand their responsibility to promote and ensure safe sleep. Staff promote safer eating throughout the nursery. Recently, the nursery menu has been adapted in line with nutritional guidance. For example, a selection of starters has been introduced to the menu, including hummus and vegetable sticks, which has reduced the numbers of days children have puddings. Staff speak to children and parents about the importance of oral health and use the expertise of local dentists to talk to the children further about this. This typically helps children to develop healthy habits from an early age. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard The curriculum is typically well taught throughout. Since the last inspection, leaders have worked hard to improve in this area. The curriculum is firmly based on children's interests and staff all know their key children well. Staff use this knowledge to make accurate observations and assessments of children's development. They know what they what children to learn, build on and achieve. Therefore, planning is generally effective. Staff working with babies are highly attuned to their basic needs. For example, staff provide resources and support them to explore cause-and-effect toys. Toddlers generally have fun and enjoy a range of sensory activities, such as water play, play dough and shaving foam. Staff comment on what children are doing, and ask them simple questions to promote children's communication skills. However, on occasion, whole-group activities do not always support children's age and stage of learning. Sometimes, staff expect toddlers to engage for too long and some sessions, such as yoga, do not always capture their interests and engage them in purposeful learning. The quality of the curriculum and teaching in the pre-school is excellent. Teaching staff from the host school spend time each week with pre-school children in the year before they move on to school. Staff introduce them to various topics, concepts and activities in order to build the key skills that they need for school, such as independence. Therefore, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who face barriers to learning, are very well equipped for future learning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders with special educational needs coordinator responsibilities are highly knowledgeable in their roles. They take proactive steps to reduce barriers that children face in relation to their learning and wellbeing from the outset. Staff get to know children and their families well. Parent's views are highly valued, and staff maintain close relationships with them throughout their child's time at the nursery. Staff typically provide high-quality, targeted support for children who require it, and this is kept under continual review. They work well with a range of external professionals. For example, staff welcome visits from them to the setting, so they can learn from their expertise and act on their advice quickly. Therefore, all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face barriers to their learning, generally make secure progress from where they started. Leaders ensure additional funding is spent based on children's individual needs. For example, they use this to fund specific resources to better accommodate children's needs and even additional staff to provide one-to-one care when possible. Leaders they ensure that parents are informed of any decision-making relating to their child's learning and how their needs are being accommodated on a regular basis. This helps to shape the support children receive and contributes to their typically positive experiences. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders and staff are knowledgeable about their safeguarding responsibilities and they act quickly to keep children safe from harm. Leaders are very proactive in responding to concerns, and oversight of this is maintained at a high level in order to protect children. Leaders comprise a knowledgeable and experienced team. They are passionate and proud of the nursery. Since the last inspection, leaders have been working very closely with a local training partner to bring about needed improvement. Leaders know and understand the key strengths of their nursery and recognise their core areas for development. Staff feel very supported in their roles and there are suitable arrangements in place to manage their workload and wellbeing. Leaders acknowledge that they need to work on building staff confidence in teaching, to further embed high-quality practice throughout the setting, particularly in the toddler room. However, plans to do this are in their infancy. Therefore, there is room for them to provide staff more focused support in this area, to help achieve consistency and disseminate strong teaching practice across the nursery. Parents comments about the quality of the provision and the support both they and their children receive are highly positive. Leaders and staff work closely with parents. They routinely share information with them in varied ways. This helps to promote continuity for children between the nursery and home. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children benefit from a broad curriculum and they generally enjoy attending. For example, babies enjoy washing the baby dolls with flannels and water with support from staff. This encourages early confidence and independence in learning about self-care and its importance to their wellbeing. Toddlers like engaging in physical play, either in the soft play studio or outside, with staff encouragement. This builds on their small-muscle skills, as they manipulate materials, and develops balance and core-strength through their large movements. Younger pre-school children draw pictures of themselves and their families on white boards and share these with staff. They also compare their own measurements, shapes and sizes as they draw around themselves on the wall outside with chalk. This helps to promote both their social and mathematical skills. Older pre-school children use sensory materials to create pictures of faces, and they use mirrors to draw skilful self-portraits as well. Staff talk to them about their key features, as well as their expressions and emotions. This helps to build on their creative and imaginative skills. Therefore, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who have barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make secure progress in their development. Children learn to behave well as they grow, particularly in the pre-school rooms. Children gain an understanding of themselves, each other and the wider world. Each term staff seek information from parents about their traditions, cultures and religions, including what they celebrate at home and the languages they speak. They tailor the learning on linked topics to ensure it is relevant to the children attending and they seek parental engagement to support in the delivery of this. Staff focus their activities around getting to know children, particularly during the welcoming of new starters and occasions of room transition. This includes a focus around children developing a sense of self and an awareness of family. This, in turn, helps children to develop a real sense of belonging and an understanding of their community. Children build positive relationships with familiar staff across the nursery. Staff are generally highly responsive to children's everyday needs. The environment is secure. Ratios are consistently met. Staff deployment is good and supervision levels are high throughout the nursery. This helps to keep children safe and ensure their wellbeing is promoted. As a result, children are able to flourish, grow and start to thrive during their time at the setting. Next steps Leaders should consider ways to further disseminate stronger practice, to build on staff confidence in teaching and consistency in their practice across the setting. Leaders should review the routines in the toddler room, particularly whole-group sessions, to make them more appropriate to children's age and stage of development. Leaders should review the transitions between environments and activities, particularly in the toddler room, so that clear directions are given to enable speedier and smoother transitions. Inspector: Josephine Heath About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2654093 Address: Castle House School Chetwynd End NEWPORT TF10 7JE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 17/09/2021 Registered person: Castle House School Trust Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Telford & Wrekin Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 8 September 2026 Children numbers About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, managers, staff and parents during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 75 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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