The Willows Outdoor Nursery & Pre-School

An allotment, a pond and balancing logs gave outdoor learning substance at The Willows Outdoor Nursery & Pre-School in August 2021. Children grew food, cared for frogs and tested their balance: practical experiences that connected play with the living world.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 11 August 2021 inspection. Today, this Blackburn setting has capacity for 60 children aged 11 to 60 months. Its term-time calendar is an important practical consideration for families needing care through school holidays.

In August 2021, children grew fruit and vegetables in the allotment to eat with their meals. Looking after frogs in the pond introduced life cycles, while digging for worms brought discoveries about how water changes the soil. Nature supplied the material for learning.

Other outdoor activities combined conversation with cooperation. Children made mixtures using mud and water, negotiated quantities and exchanged instructions. A gutter run encouraged repeated attempts as children experimented with rolling cars. Logs and tree stumps provided balancing challenges; a den and a swing offered quieter alternatives when children wanted a rest.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play and conversation become opportunities to develop language, physical skills and relationships. In August 2021, staff introduced vocabulary through children's interests and encouraged them to retell stories. The limitation was how consistently adults added further challenge to activities children had chosen themselves.

At the August 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described planning that supported children's next steps, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These are dated judgements, rather than a current assurance.

In August 2021, younger children built relationships with their key person as they explored activities. Staff drew on what they knew about individual children when planning learning. When sharing became difficult, adults listened and encouraged children to reach an agreement, giving them practical experience of considering someone else's feelings.

Communication with families included updates about children's development. Outdoor stay and play sessions also gave parents a way to take part. Alongside these strengths, everyday self-care needed more opportunities for children to do things independently.

The address is 244 Blackburn Road, Blackburn, BB6 7LX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays. That calendar suits a household whose childcare needs follow school terms, but requires a separate holiday plan.

In August 2021, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

• Extending learning. In August 2021, adults sometimes missed chances to develop children's chosen activities further. During a visit, ask how staff now add challenge to outdoor experiments and play.
• Independence in daily care. The August 2021 improvement priorities included giving children more opportunities to manage self-care themselves. Ask how this works for your child's stage of development.

For families seeking term-time childcare, the calendar offers a clear fit. The August 2021 picture will also appeal to parents who value learning through growing, experimenting and physical outdoor play. The balance to examine is adult interaction: engaging experiences need both thoughtful challenge and room for children to become more independent.