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Castle Lane Day Nursery

Ofsted: Expected standard·
5.0(4 parent reviews) ·Castle Lane Nursery, 9 Great Bowden Road, MARKET HARBOROUGH, LE16 7DE · Leicestershire
Number of places
90 places
Age range
1–5 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Leicestershire

About this day nursery

Castle Lane Day Nursery, operating since 2008 in Market Harborough, provides childcare for children aged 1 to 10 years. With a "Good" Ofsted rating from its latest inspection on March 3, 2026, the nursery offers a welcoming, inclusive, and nurturing environment where children thrive.

Staff prioritise children's positive well-being and emotional development, creating a setting where children feel settled and confident. The nursery effectively utilises funding for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to provide extra adult support.

Individual children's needs are considered when distributing early years pupil premium funding, which facilitates enriching experiences like forest school and appropriate clothing. Children show a keen interest in outdoor learning, actively participating in forest school sessions and exploring the outdoor areas.

They enthusiastically discuss their forest school adventures, including setting up camera traps to observe nocturnal animals. The nursery emphasises strong parent partnerships, ensuring parents are well-informed about their child's development.

This commitment extends to supporting early language skills, with staff expertly modelling language to expand children's vocabulary. The setting operates year-round, Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, and accepts funded hours for two, three, and four-year-old children.

Our ethos

Staff at Castle Lane Day Nursery in Market Harborough believe in the same values and ethos for childcare, which are based around the following aims: To stimulate imagination and creativity To provide a communication rich environment To develop the full potential of every child To care for each child as an individual To develop strong relationships with both parents and children

What it's like

Children enjoy their time at the setting, excitedly talking about forest school and sharing experiences of using a trap with a camera to see animals. They behave well with clear expectations, such as walking safely to the outdoor area. Children have strong attachments to staff, settle quickly, and engage in activities planned around their interests.

Welcoming environmentStrong parent partnershipsEffective SEND supportOutdoor learning focusStrong early language development

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (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 7:30am – 6pm Tuesday 7:30am – 6pm Wednesday 7:30am – 6pm Thursday 7:30am – 6pm Friday 7:30am – 6pm

Session types

full day care, half day care, Breakfast Club, After School Club, Holiday Club

Age range

birth to 11 years

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2008

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Mar 2026

Headline: Expected standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
1 to 10
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Castle Lane Day Nursery

Last inspected 3 March 2026 · Emily Lofts

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children enjoy their time at the setting, excitedly talking about forest school and sharing experiences of using a trap with a camera to see animals. They behave well with clear expectations, such as walking safely to the outdoor area. Children have strong attachments to staff, settle quickly, and engage in activities planned around their interests.

Inspector highlights

  • Children enjoy their time at the setting, excitedly talking about forest school.
  • Partnerships with parents are strong, and parents feel well informed about their children's development.
  • Children's early language skills develop well, with staff modelling language and increasing vocabulary.
  • Funding for children in receipt of early years pupil premium is used effectively.
  • Funding for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is used well to provide extra adult support.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders should support staff to further enhance interactions to extend and add to children's communication and language skills consistently across the setting.
  • 2Leaders should target the programme of professional development to sharply focus on enriching children's communication and language skills.
Inspection #10074100 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Funding for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is used well to provide extra adult support. Staff consider the needs of individual children when using early years pupil premium funding, providing opportunities like forest school and purchasing suitable clothing.

Outdoor space

Children excitedly talk about going to forest school and share experiences of using a trap with a camera to see animals that visit the site at night. They are reminded to walk down steps sensibly to access the outdoor area and find different shapes in the outdoor area.

Parent Reviews of Castle Lane Day Nursery

5.0
(4)
Paula Alexander
2 years ago

Both my children loved attending Castle Lane, especially the Forest School. Would definitely recommend.

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Duncan
3 years ago

My son loves it here, and loved going to the forest school.

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Melissa Kingston
3 years ago

Brilliant with my son definitely recommend!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Castle Lane Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: November 2008

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • June 2020Good
  • March 2020Good
  • February 2016Good
  • January 2016Good
  • January 2014Requires improvement
  • October 2013Requires improvement
  • April 2013Good
  • March 2013Good
  • November 2008Good

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more