Tudor House Day Nursery, Mill Hill

Conversation, songs and an outdoor climbing frame give Tudor House Day Nursery, Mill Hill its clearest character. In November 2023, children explored melting ice through questions, sang while playing and practised climbing outdoors. These everyday experiences brought language and movement into the nursery day.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 30 November 2023 inspection. Based on New Chapel Street in Blackburn, it accepts children from 3 to 60 months and has 53 places in total. That is whole-nursery capacity, rather than the size of an individual group.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care: here, its practical expression in November 2023 included conversation, stories, physical play and opportunities to investigate children's interests. Questions about melting ice encouraged children to think through a change they could observe.

In November 2023, the curriculum was organised around children's developmental needs. Practitioners used children's interests to shape experiences, rather than relying solely on planned activities. Reading aloud with enthusiasm encouraged children to enjoy books, while frequent exchanges with adults gave them practice in taking turns in conversation. Songs continued during play, bringing opportunities to use language into activities children had chosen themselves. For parents, these examples help explain the emphasis on communication: children had opportunities both to listen to adults and to contribute their own responses.

Movement took different forms across the ages. In November 2023, babies practised walking with staff support, more confident walkers climbed and moved to music, and older children worked with play dough. The outdoor climbing frame offered another opportunity to practise movement and judge manageable challenges; children went outdoors daily, including in different weather conditions.

Planned activities had clear learning intentions in November 2023. During spontaneous play, however, some practitioners were uncertain how to develop the curriculum, leaving opportunities to extend learning unused. The difference matters: a child's self-chosen activity also needs thoughtful adult support.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, identified strong relationships through the key-person system and judged children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported. Familiar adults helped children settle, while the special educational needs coordinator and practitioners used targeted resources and strategies for children who needed help sustaining attention.

In November 2023, everyday care routines provided time for close interaction. Visual prompts helped children understand changes in activity, and children encouraged friends' achievements. These details show how relationships and predictable routines worked together.

The November 2023 account also described what happened when activities changed: children responded to a prompt by stopping their play and tidying toys. Clear expectations helped them manage their behaviour through those transitions. Encouragement came from other children as well as adults, with friends celebrating one another's successes. Support for concentration was tailored to children who found it difficult to sustain attention, using particular strategies and resources. This gives families a concrete example of the support described: practitioners adjusted their help to the difficulty a child was experiencing.

Safeguarding practice in November 2023 included checks on people working with children and training for new staff before they began their roles. Practitioners understood child protection procedures and how to respond to a worry about a child's welfare. Risk assessment processes were also in place to identify and reduce hazards in the environment. These were practical elements of the safeguarding judgement at that date: staff preparation, procedures for raising concerns and attention to the spaces children used.

Communication about learning needed attention too. In November 2023, arrangements for explaining the curriculum to parents were not fully established, and teaching about nutritious food choices needed further development.

The address is New Chapel Street, Blackburn, BB2 4DT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In November 2023, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated funding position.

• Learning during spontaneous play. Extending children's learning in self-chosen activities was an improvement priority in November 2023. On a visit, ask practitioners to explain how they build on a child's chosen activity.
• Healthy choices and parent communication. In November 2023, teaching about nutritious foods and explaining the curriculum to parents needed development. Ask how these now feature in everyday learning and parent updates.

Tudor House suits families seeking weekday, year-round childcare who value conversation, physical play and familiar relationships. Its November 2023 assessment gives a positive basis for consideration, balanced by specific weaknesses in extending spontaneous play and teaching healthy food choices.