Tatton Nursery

Independence here starts with practical jobs: preparing fruit, managing a drink and working out how to use sticky tape. In February 2025, children at Tatton Nursery were tackling these tasks themselves, alongside activities that helped them recognise feelings and talk to one another. Small tasks carried real purpose.

Ofsted rated Tatton Nursery Outstanding at its 4 February 2025 inspection. Based at Tatton Gardens in Chorley, it has 30 places in total and accepts children from their second birthday until they start school. Its enclosed outdoor space, flexible indoor layout and allocated key workers give families concrete points to weigh alongside that judgement.

Attendance is term-time, with morning sessions, a longer nursery day and early or late extensions. That makes the weekly timetable an important part of the choice.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes planning around children's development, with play, conversation and practical activities helping them build language, physical skills and independence. Key workers use observations and children's comments to plan subsequent learning. Each child has a learning journey file that parents can access, connecting activities at nursery with what families notice at home.

In February 2025, a letter tray supported different stages of learning: some children paired matching letters, others picked out their initial, and older children assembled their names. The same resource offered different challenges. Stories, songs and pretend play also gave children opportunities to hear unfamiliar vocabulary and contribute their own ideas.

Physical learning was equally concrete that month. A padded mat allowed repeated attempts at movement, indoor beams gave children balancing practice, and digging outdoors exercised strength. Modelling dough required finer control. These were different ways to practise movement, rather than a single activity expected to suit every child.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children can use an enclosed outdoor play space and a garden. Indoors, furniture can be repositioned and activities offered at different levels, so the layout can respond to children's access needs. Picture symbols and a visual timetable help explain where things belong and what happens next.

In February 2025, children also had a quiet area with bears and books about emotions, while yoga offered a calmer activity alongside physical play. This gave them practical ways to pause and discuss feelings. Off-site visits require substantial participation from parents or grandparents; preparation can include a photo book to help a child understand what to expect.

Relationships and Communication

An allocated key worker is the main contact for each family. An induction pack gathers information about a child's preferences, needs and strengths, and settling can include a parent staying until everyone feels comfortable. This gives the relationship time to develop before separation becomes the priority.

Communication extends beyond a conversation at collection. Daily diaries support working families, parents can look at learning journey files, and development is reviewed termly or more frequently where appropriate. Private discussions can be arranged around an individual concern. These mechanisms make it easier to connect changes at home with the next steps planned at nursery.

In February 2025, parents joined stay-and-play activities and shared new words or achievements from home. Books went home wrapped as surprises, giving families a simple invitation to read together. Preparation for school includes inviting teachers to meet children in the final term, using school clothing in pretend play and arranging transition discussions where additional support is needed.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding, highly effective support for children with SEND and rapid progress in learning. The current support arrangements include a SENCO, individual learning plans developed with families, and parental consent before involving outside professionals.

The Inclusion and Disability Support Service (IDSS) team can contribute to support planning, alongside the Early Year Advisory Teacher. Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are also among the professionals the nursery liaises with. These are mechanisms for organising help around a child's needs, rather than a general promise that the same provision will suit everyone.

Staff training covers behaviour management, autism strategies and literacy or language. A designated safeguarding lead role and paediatric first aid training form part of the arrangements. For children needing additional support when moving on, transition meetings can share targets and practical needs with the receiving setting, with possible extra school visits.

Sessions and Attendance

Tatton Nursery's address is Tatton Gardens, Silverdale Road, Eaves Lane, Chorley, PR6 0PR. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. It operates Monday to Friday during term time, across 38 weeks, with an opening window of 8.30am to 4pm.

Morning attendance can run from 9am to noon or from 9am to 12.45pm; the nursery day runs from 9am to 3pm. Funded delivery options also include 8.30am to 3pm, 9am to 3.30pm and 8.30am to 4pm. An early morning club is offered on request from 8.30am, with late stay until 4pm. The choice between a morning and a longer day therefore comes with specific clock times, rather than simply a broad opening window.

Changing booked hours requires four weeks' notice. Late collection attracts a separate charge. Uniform is optional, with polo shirts and hooded sweatshirts available through the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 30-hour entitlement and is delivered during term time rather than stretched across the year. Extra private hours are charged when attendance exceeds a family's daily funded entitlement. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; its childcare offer and charges explain the structure.

Parents provide a packed lunch in a clearly labelled lunch box. Since 1 February 2026, snacks and extra activities carry a combined separate charge, including for funded attendance; parents can supply a healthy daily snack instead and decline the extra activities. Changing that choice requires a week's notice, while non-food consumables carry no separate charge.

Getting There

An allocated accessible parking space in the complex car park can be used by a nursery parent who needs it. Toilets, including accessible facilities, are close to the nursery room, and there is a nappy-changing room.

• Term-time family timetable. Attendance covers 38 weeks, with mornings and longer days offered. Families needing care through school holidays will need a separate arrangement for those weeks.
• Snack and activity choices. The combined charge introduced on 1 February 2026 has opt-out alternatives. Discuss how bringing a snack and declining activities would work within your child's chosen session.
• Settling and individual support. Parents can stay during settling, and visits require no appointment. Use a visit to discuss how the key worker and SENCO would adapt the visual routine, activities and transition planning for your child.
• Dietary needs during a longer day. A session can extend to 4pm. Discuss how your child's dietary needs would be handled throughout that attendance pattern.

Tatton Nursery suits families choosing between term-time mornings and a longer nursery day, with early and late extensions where needed. The February 2025 observations give substance to its Outstanding judgement: practical independence, adaptable learning activities and parent participation all featured in children's experience. Key-worker contact, flexible settling and structured support planning provide further reasons to consider it. The central practical decision is whether its term-time calendar and chosen session fit the family's week.