The Castle Nursery School, Wakefield
The Castle Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Wakefield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Castle Nursery School in detail
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 35.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%), Asian (17%) and Black (10%).
In 2026, 7 pupils (6.5%) received SEN support and 1 (0.9%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandal & Agbrigg Rail Station, about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sandal Church (opposite), 120 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with The Castle Nursery School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Castle Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Castle Nursery School is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 32
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 25 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Wakefield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wakefield
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,300
Applications
3,912
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
7.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
65
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
36.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£63,026
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about The Castle Nursery School
What is The Castle Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
The Castle Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Castle Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When The Castle Nursery School is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Castle Nursery School?
The Castle Nursery School has around 108 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Castle Nursery School?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming The Castle Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Castle Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 25 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Castle Nursery School?
The Castle Nursery School is at 255A Barnsley Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)