St Lukes Nursery

Serving food was part of learning to manage independently at St Lukes Nursery in January 2025. In January 2025, children progressed from practising with spoons as babies to carrying their own plates and serving food in preschool. Everyday routines gave them practical responsibilities.

At its 23 January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 80 children, with an accepted age range of 3 to 60 months, in Cleckheaton.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday tasks support their growing skills.

In January 2025, mathematical learning included counting, identifying shapes and recognising small collections of objects. Physical activities changed with children's development: babies practised movements needed for crawling and walking, toddlers worked on balance and coordination outdoors, and preschool children developed the finger control needed for writing. These were concrete steps towards greater independence.

Stories and songs were daily activities in January 2025, with related experiences for babies and preschool children. Toddler story sessions needed adjustment, however. Some children lost interest and distracted others; increasing noise made listening harder. Matching the activity to different children's needs was the required improvement, rather than simply adding more storytelling.

At the January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that cooperation with parents and outside professionals supported targeted help and good progress for children. That matters for families whose child needs coordinated support rather than separate conversations with each adult involved.

In January 2025, key persons tracked children's development and shared their assessments with colleagues so interactions could be adjusted. Information from home also informed daily care, while staff exchanged details about individual needs. Consistent routines helped children practise taking turns and cooperating.

Emotional understanding received attention in January 2025 too. Older children discussed feelings through conversations and planned activities; staff helped babies and toddlers connect words with feelings such as happiness and sadness. Staff also undertook professional development, and management identified areas needing improvement.

The address is St Luke's Terrace, Moorbottom, Cleckheaton, BD19 6AD. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year except bank holidays.

In January 2025, session times ran from 7.30am to 6pm and the nursery offered government-funded childcare places. Those are inspection-time arrangements. Mealtimes also formed part of the independence work described above, rather than being treated solely as a break from learning.

• Toddler listening. In January 2025, noise and disengagement interrupted some story sessions. Ask how activities now accommodate children with different attention and language needs.
• Reporting significant events. In January 2025, the provider had missed the required notification deadline for a significant event. The requirement was discussed and the provider understood the reporting timescales; timely notification remains an important management responsibility.
• Attendance and funding. The January 2025 session window covered the working day, and government-funded places were offered. At a visit, ask which booking patterns and funded-hour arrangements fit your intended attendance.

St Lukes Nursery suits families who value practical independence and coordinated individual support. The January 2025 account connects learning with everyday actions, from handling cutlery to recognising feelings. Toddler story sessions are the clearest improvement point, alongside the recorded notification lapse. Families considering care within its weekday opening hours should weigh those January 2025 strengths and concerns together.