Caterpillar Day Care

Stories stretched beyond the book at Caterpillar Day Care: in March 2024, a railway bridge became the setting for The Three Billy Goats Gruff, while a woodland walk brought We're going on a Bear Hunt into the day. Those examples give this Todmorden nursery a recognisable character: familiar stories connected with places children could explore.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. Caterpillar Day Care caters for children aged 3 to 60 months and has 36 places in total.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning and care, with play supporting skills such as communication, movement and independence. In March 2024, stories, songs and puppets gave children opportunities to join in with language and actions. Practitioners also introduced vocabulary through conversation and play, including words for different homes and descriptions of materials.

Outdoor activity had a practical emphasis that month. Children used scooters and ride-on toys, played with a parachute and practised hopping through hopscotch. Woodland walks and allotment visits extended their experiences beyond the nursery; charity fundraising connected activities with the wider community.

Independence was uneven. In March 2024, children selected resources, practised using scissors and tackled their own coats, but adults served food and poured drinks. Creative activities also sometimes restricted children's choices, including a painting activity with a narrow selection of colours. These are useful distinctions: access to activities matters, but so does how much children can decide and do for themselves.

In March 2024, staff helped children understand everyday expectations, including tidying resources after play. Children talked with adults, played alongside friends and persevered with puzzles. These concrete examples show how relationships and routines shaped the inspection-era day.

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that progress checks for children aged two to three, work with health visitors and outside agencies, and the use of additional funding supported children's progress. Extra holiday sessions were one example of how that funding was used.

Communication also extended learning beyond the setting. In March 2024, parents received monthly updates and developmental reports, alongside activities to try at home to support preparation for school.

Caterpillar Day Care is at 32 Stansfield Road, Todmorden, OL14 5DL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In March 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of its funding provision.

• Doing more independently. In March 2024, adults handled serving food and pouring drinks. Look for how children now practise these everyday skills.
• Creative choice. Planned activities sometimes restricted the materials children could choose in March 2024. A visit can explore how much freedom children have to develop their own ideas.
• Planning attendance. With an opening window of 7.30am to 6pm, which booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your child's routine, and how are meals and consumables handled?

Caterpillar Day Care suits families who value storytelling, outdoor movement and links between play and everyday experiences. The March 2024 picture gives those preferences substance, from woodland stories to practical conversations. Independence at meals and freedom in creative activities deserve attention when assessing the nursery's present day-to-day offer.