Shadsworth Childrens Centre

Bird feeders, binoculars and a digging area give Shadsworth Childrens Centre's September 2022 nursery life a practical, outdoors-minded character. Children's interests shaped activities, from watching garden birds to tending plants. These were opportunities to investigate things themselves.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its September 2022 inspection. The centre is on Shadsworth Road in Blackburn, BB1 2HR, and has 60 places in total; children attending at the September 2022 visit were aged two to three.

In September 2022, children's curiosity about seeds and plants prompted an outdoor space for gardening and digging. Working with soil gave them physical practice, while watering plants introduced responsibility for living things. Birdwatching took another interest further, using binoculars and making feeders.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the September 2022 examples included learning through play, conversation and practical tasks. Book areas offered space to share stories, and animals pulled from a feely bag helped bring storytelling to life. Adults introduced vocabulary both during stories and alongside children's play.

At snack time that September, children practised pouring drinks and cutting fruit. Waiting for a turn linked independence with consideration for others. Group activities were less consistent: some children lost interest when adults' approaches failed to sustain their involvement.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported, with early identification, additional funding and work with other professionals helping address individual needs.

In September 2022, short introductory visits and the option for parents to remain helped children settle. Signing and pictures supplemented speech, including for children with limited English. These gave children more ways to understand and communicate.

Families also joined stay-and-play sessions that September and received ideas for learning at home. Staff used gentle prompts about behaviour and encouraged children to look after resources and one another. Safeguarding training, recruitment procedures and messages about road and car safety formed part of practice at that time.

The address is Shadsworth Childrens Centre, Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, BB1 2HR. In September 2022, opening hours were 8.45am to 3.25pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four at that time.

• Group learning. In September 2022, some children became distracted during group activities. Ask how practitioners now adapt these activities to individual children's needs and interests.
• Planning attendance. The September 2022 arrangements were term-time opening and funded early education. What ages, attendance arrangements and funding terms apply to a child joining now?

Shadsworth's September 2022 picture suits families who value practical exploration, language-rich play and opportunities to participate in their child's nursery experience. Gardening, birdwatching and supported communication give that picture substance. The limitation was keeping children engaged during group learning, an important point to explore alongside the historical term-time arrangements.