Sparthfield Happy Day Nursery

Woodland learning starts with babies here, rather than waiting until preschool. Shooting Stars and Busy Bees take part in Natural explorers, while Wise Owl Woodland Explorers gives older children at least weekly woodland sessions. That progression gives Sparthfield Happy Day Nursery a clear outdoor identity, with experiences that change as children grow.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, highlighting personalised learning and a strong emphasis on children's speech and communication. The practical examples give that judgement substance: staff extended conversations, recognised new vocabulary and shared it with families to support learning at home. Language learning reached beyond the nursery day.

Based in Clayton le Moors, Accrington, the nursery has capacity for 65 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. Three named rooms organise the progression from baby care to preparation for school. Full and part time attendance sit alongside opening across 51 weeks of the year.

Rooms and Ages

Shooting Stars, the baby room labelled for ages 0 to 2 years, combines exploration with patio doors leading outside and a view through to Busy Bees, so the next room is visible before children move into it.

Busy Bees serves children aged 2 to 3 years through resources and experiences matched to their stage of development. Wise Owls is the preschool room, where play supports broader learning and children are encouraged to investigate and manage more for themselves before moving on to school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the basis for learning: children develop through play, with activities planned around their individual interests and next steps. It is the shared early-years framework, while the woodland programmes add a more specific strand to the day. Indoor and outdoor play both contribute to that planning. The curriculum information also explains how observations inform what comes next for each child.

In February 2024, communication work included questions that invited children to explain their thinking, alongside adults expanding what children said. Staff tracked newly acquired words and passed them on to parents. This gave families something concrete to build on at home, rather than a general instruction to practise talking.

Physical challenges also changed with age at that time. Babies practised moving onto and down from risers; toddlers danced with ribbons; preschool children tackled fallen trees and uneven woodland ground. The examples show how movement could become part of learning, with different challenges for children at different stages.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School means learning through experiences in nature here. Natural explorers introduces babies and toddlers to the outdoor environment through regular sessions, before Wise Owl Woodland Explorers takes preschool learning into nearby woodland at least weekly. A Forest School leader supports this strand of provision. The progression matters: outdoor exploration begins early and becomes more involved as children develop.

There are purpose-built outdoor spaces and a nursery garden, with woodland and a playing field opposite. Preschool outings include the local park and woodland, with other trips planned during the year. Written parental permission is required before children leave the premises, and outings undergo risk assessment.

Visits and visitors broaden the experiences available to children, with companies invited to introduce new subjects or skills. Family celebrations and experiences also inform planning. Children can connect their own experiences with other people's lives.

Relationships and Communication

A key person and buddy arrangement gives each family a main contact and a second practitioner who takes over when that person is unavailable. The key person learns about a child's preferences, interests and individual requirements, and keeps progress records that parents can see and contribute to.

Settling is planned with each family and reviewed as the child becomes more comfortable. Sleep arrangements follow the same principle: staff discuss home routines with parents and continue those conversations as sleep needs change. Each room has space for resting, and children who sleep have an individual bag containing their blankets and comforters.

EYLog is the secure online learning journal, combining assessments with photographs, video and observations. Email alerts let parents follow updates, while families can add experiences from home to help shape planning. Home learning ideas and resources to borrow extend this exchange. Regular parent evenings, play sessions and transition sessions provide opportunities for discussion and involvement beyond the journal.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised SEND support, with the special educational needs coordinator working alongside families, staff and external agencies including National Portage Association (NPA). This was a concrete support mechanism, connecting the nursery's work with help beyond its own team. Current individual planning also takes special educational needs into account.

Emotional wellbeing has practical expression in the day. In February 2024, staff used books and conversations to explore feelings, and preschool children helped friends calm themselves through breathing. The current myHappymind programme adds an app with information and resources for parents to use in activities with their children at home. Its parent resources give families another way to continue wellbeing work outside nursery.

Everyday care also creates opportunities for independence. Children are encouraged to choose and serve food, clean their faces and help with the mealtime routine; the key person works with families on toilet training when the child is ready. Daily conversations, stories and songs address tooth brushing. These are practical habits that link nursery care with home life.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 419 Whalley Road, Clayton le Moors, Accrington, BB5 5RP. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks each year; weekends and public holidays are closed. The closing time is an important planning point for parents fitting collection around work.

Full and part time places are offered, with the nursery willing to discuss individual family needs. These attendance choices are separate from the opening window. There is a late collection charge, and children are released only to adults authorised to collect them. Both arrangements affect the practical handover between nursery and home.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or on 01254 301524. The nursery welcomes parents to see sessions in progress, giving families a chance to discuss their requirements while seeing how staff and children interact.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15 hours and 30 hours nursery entitlement through Lancashire County Council funding. Childcare vouchers and Tax Free Childcare are also accepted. These are different ways of supporting childcare costs, so families should distinguish their funded entitlement from the attendance they want to book. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page introduces the childcare offer and charges.

Food is prepared fresh, with breakfast and lunch alongside a morning snack and afternoon tea. Dietary requirements are discussed when a child joins, making that conversation part of planning their care.

• Collection before 5.30pm. Weekday opening ends at 5.30pm and late collection attracts a charge. Families need a workable collection arrangement, including authorised adults who can help when necessary.
• Outdoor learning from infancy. Natural explorers begins with babies and toddlers, followed by at least weekly Wise Owl Woodland Explorers sessions. During a visit, ask how the outdoor routine works for your child's stage and how room moves are introduced.
• Funding and the complete quotation. The nursery accepts the 15 hours and 30 hours entitlement and offers full and part time attendance. Request a written breakdown showing how funding fits the chosen pattern, including the treatment of meals and non-food consumables.
• Individual care routines. Settling and sleep arrangements are developed with parents, and dietary needs are discussed at joining. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice alongside their child's requirements.

Sparthfield Happy Day Nursery suits families seeking either full or part time attendance, with outdoor learning beginning in baby care and continuing into weekly preschool woodland experiences. The named rooms, key person and buddy system, and two-way EYLog journal give that offer useful structure.

Its strongest appeal is the connection between individual planning and practical experiences: conversations, outdoor challenges and growing independence all have a place. The February 2024 Outstanding judgement adds weight to that picture. For working families, the decisive practical constraint is the 5.30pm finish; for the child, the woodland progression and continuity between nursery and home are the stronger attractions.