Sandcastles Nursery

Sandcastles Nursery was inspected on 18 February 2022 under the legacy four-area framework (Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management), all graded Good. This analysis maps those findings to the November 2025 seven-area framework. The nursery has declined from Outstanding (previous inspection 2013) to Good, indicating a trajectory of maintenance rather than improvement. Safeguarding arrangements are effective and meet requirements. The setting demonstrates strong child-centred curriculum design, effective staff knowledge of individual children, and good use of visual supports for emotional well-being. Key areas for development centre on minimising interruptions to children's play (particularly babies' sensory engagement) and building staff capacity to further develop children's independence and self-help skills through enhanced interactions.