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Castle Kindergarten in Washington

Ofsted: Outstanding
(Jun 2025)
·Albany Teaching And Learning Centre, Albany Village Primary School, Washington, NE37 1UA · Sunderland
Number of places
53 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2025
Local authority
Sunderland

About this day nursery

Castle Kindergarten operates four nursery schools across the North East of England, located in Albany (Washington), Hylton Castle (Sunderland), Sacriston (Durham), and Haswell (Durham). The nurseries prioritise a caring, safe, stimulating, and joyful environment that serves as a daytime alternative to home.

They offer imaginative indoor and outdoor spaces filled with engaging materials and toys, encouraging children to play, explore, discover, and create in secure surroundings. The curriculum emphasises both indoor and outdoor learning, providing dynamic and versatile spaces for physical activity, exploration, and connection with nature.

Castle Kindergarten values parents as primary educators and fosters strong partnerships, offering activities for home learning and facilitating communication about children's experiences. The nursery accommodates various attendance patterns, including term-time-only options, and provides concessions for holidays and sibling discounts, with fees payable monthly.

What it's like

Children develop a genuine love of learning in this highly stimulating nursery. The environment, both indoors and outdoors, is exceptional, providing rich experiences to stimulate curiosity and promote development. Staff create daily 'invitations to play' and use carefully selected resources to reflect children's interests and age-appropriate development.

Multiple locations across North EastEmphasis on indoor and outdoor learningStrong parent partnershipHoliday concessions and sibling discounts

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

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Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 6pm; Fridays, 7.30am to 5.45pm, for 51 weeks of the year.

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2017

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Castle Kindergarten

Last inspected 18 June 2025 · Jan Batchelor

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding

What it's like to attend

Children develop a genuine love of learning in this highly stimulating nursery. The environment, both indoors and outdoors, is exceptional, providing rich experiences to stimulate curiosity and promote development. Staff create daily 'invitations to play' and use carefully selected resources to reflect children's interests and age-appropriate development.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders and managers are passionate about providing the best possible start to children's early education.
  • The curriculum is based on a clear understanding of how young children learn, with a strong focus on promoting children's personal, social and emotional development.
  • All staff know the children incredibly well, ensuring all interactions consistently address their learning and development needs.
  • The nursery is highly inclusive, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support.
  • Children's communication and language skills are developed effectively throughout the nursery.
Inspection #10392859 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

"Parents and carers recognise the nursery as a special place."

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The nursery is highly inclusive. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support. Leadership of SEND is highly effective, providing support to all staff to ensure individual children's needs are met as effectively as possible. Clear procedures are in place to identify children who may need additional support. Liaison with parents and with any specialists ensures that information is shared in a timely manner, and strategies to support children are applied consistently.

Outdoor space

The environment, both indoors and outdoors, is exceptional. It has been created to maximise opportunities for children to become fully engaged in a wealth of rich experiences to stimulate their curiosity and promote their development. In the baby garden, children become engrossed in sensory play. The youngest children are enticed to explore the learning environment on their own by the placement of interesting activities around their room and outdoor space.

Inspection history

Date: September 2019

  • June 2025Outstanding
  • December 2024Outstanding
  • September 2019Good

Frequently asked about Castle Kindergarten

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