The Manor Preschool Nursery

Repeated storybook words, time to finish a jigsaw and daily activities with a familiar key person give this Carlisle preschool its character in April 2024. The emphasis was on letting children practise, build relationships and carry their own ideas into play.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated The Manor Preschool Nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Based at Morton Manor community Centre, Wigton Road, Carlisle CA2 6JP, it has 26 places in total and accepts children aged 24 to 60 months.

In April 2024, learning followed a deliberate sequence: younger children heard stories with repeated vocabulary before tackling books introducing more words. That made story time a way to revisit learning before adding something new.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the April 2024 examples included independent play, storytelling and puzzles: children could work on an idea, repeat a skill and persist with a task. The daily routine protected stretches of play, allowing children to gather resources for their own creations rather than continually change activity.

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), alongside good progress for children across the setting. Visual prompts throughout the environment and consistent communication methods helped children access activities and resources.

In April 2024, daily key-group activities gave children time with their key person in a smaller group. Close contact with parents helped staff understand individual needs. When disagreements arose, adults responded calmly and used consistent rules, giving children a predictable response while helping them play together.

Opening hours are 9.15am to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays. This schedule makes the holiday calendar an important part of childcare planning.

In April 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

• Staff development. In April 2024, evaluations of staff practice needed greater depth, and training did not consistently develop knowledge over time. These weaknesses occasionally affected how learning was delivered, making staff development a useful topic for a visit.
• Term-time calendar. School-holiday closures mean families needing childcare throughout the year must plan around those breaks.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funded early education formed part of the April 2024 offer. How would a funded booking work for your child, including meals and non-food consumables?

The Manor suits families seeking preschool care within a term-time calendar and a daytime opening window. Its April 2024 strengths were concrete: carefully sequenced stories, sustained play and regular time with a key person. The qualification is equally clear: staff evaluation and continuing development needed more precision. Those findings give families specific practice to discuss, alongside the practical fit of school-holiday closures.