Partou Eldwick Street Day Nursery & Pre-School

Separate outdoor space for babies, sandpits and mud kitchens for older children: outdoor play gives Eldwick Street much of its character. This Burnley nursery makes space for running, climbing and messy exploration, with access outside throughout the year. For families who value a day that extends beyond the playroom, those physical details matter more than a broad promise of learning through play.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with developmental delays received support within the setting and from relevant professionals. That is a dated judgement. The improvement priority was more precise staff development so that responses to children's behaviour became consistent.

Partou Eldwick Street Day Nursery & Pre-School has 76 places in total and caters for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Full days, morning and afternoon sessions, plus a school day option for children aged three and over, give families several ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, that means learning through play, conversation, stories and practical exploration. Alongside it, Partou's group-wide child-led approach emphasises curiosity and confidence, giving children scope to pursue their interests. Roleplay, sensory activities and messy play are part of the current offer.

In November 2022, children chose activities that held their attention, including detailed painting on a doll. Outside, they could make bigger movements at the outdoor painting wall. These were different routes into developing hand control, rather than an expectation that every child should practise in the same way.

Stories also travelled beyond a single reading activity in November 2022. Children helped create and revisit stories, sang together and borrowed books through the mobile library to share at home. Preschool committee discussions and the daily helper role gave children opportunities to make decisions and take responsibility. That combination connected language with participation in nursery life.

Outdoor and Community Life

Babies have an outdoor play area of their own. Children over two share space equipped with mud kitchens and large sandpits, alongside room to climb and run. Access between indoors and outdoors is encouraged where possible, so outdoor exploration can be part of the day rather than confined to one scheduled activity.

Animal visitors and community trips add experiences beyond the nursery's usual resources. Children's different celebration days are recognised too. These activities broaden what children encounter and create opportunities to talk about differences, although the strongest practical attraction remains the outdoor provision itself.

Regular updates about each child's development are included within the care charge. This gives parents a continuing connection with learning at nursery, rather than leaving progress to an occasional conversation. The team also has experience supporting children with special educational needs and children learning English as an additional language.

In November 2022, parents and staff exchanged information about children's development so that learning could continue at home. A noticeboard could be photographed and translated by parents who did not speak English. Resources in different languages were another practical part of the provision at that time. Both details show how communication was adapted to families, rather than assuming that one format worked for everyone.

Behaviour support was the qualification to that positive picture in November 2022. Staff did not all use effective strategies consistently, and some children's behaviour interrupted others' play. The requested improvement concerned how training addressed that priority. For parents, the relevant issue is how adults respond together when play becomes difficult, as well as how they support an individual child.

Meals are cooked on the premises from a seasonal menu. Food and drink carry a separate charge, as do daily care supplies including sun cream, nappies and wet wipes; those charges also apply during funded sessions.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Eldwick Street, Burnley, BB10 3DU. Opening hours run from 7.15am to 6pm on weekdays, while the full-day booking runs from 8am to 6pm. An early drop off session covers 7.15am to 8am, extending the start for families who need it.

Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. For children aged three and over, the school day session runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm. These are meaningfully different patterns: a shorter morning or afternoon does not require a full-day booking, while the school day option offers another shape for preschool attendance.

The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Charges apply over 51 weeks, including bank holidays, so closure days and the charging schedule need to be read together when planning the family budget. Enquiries can be made directly on 01282 427854.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with Lancashire Local Authority administering the funding. Entitlement covers 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 term weeks, subject to eligibility, across a maximum of 10 hours a day. For year-round attendance, funding is stretched over 52 weeks, giving 10.96 or 21.92 funded hours each week. That spreads support across the year rather than preserving the term-time weekly allocation.

Funding pays towards care. Meals, snacks and consumables remain separately charged for funded sessions, as they do for paid attendance. This distinction matters when comparing the whole cost of a booking, rather than looking only at how many care hours are funded.

Joining involves either a non-refundable registration charge or a deposit to reserve the child's place, with eligibility governed by the terms and conditions. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Behaviour support. In November 2022, inconsistent staff responses sometimes disrupted other children's play. During a visit, ask how staff now agree and apply behaviour strategies across the nursery.
• Outdoor routines. Babies have their own outdoor area, while children over two share space for climbing and messy exploration. Ask how your child's outdoor time fits around their individual care routine.
• The whole attendance cost. Food and consumables are charged alongside care, including during funded sessions, and bank holidays fall within the charging schedule. Request a written quotation for your chosen pattern so the funded and paid elements are clear.

Eldwick Street suits families choosing between full days, morning or afternoon attendance, and a school day pattern for preschool children. Its separate baby outdoor space and larger shared play area for older children give the offer a clear practical appeal.

The November 2022 judgement provides a positive assessment of education and care at that time, with behaviour management the point requiring attention. Outdoor exploration and varied attendance patterns are the reasons to consider it; consistent adult responses and the complete cost of attendance deserve equal weight in the decision.