Blackburne House Nursery

Snow becoming water, stories shared with staff and wooden blocks that help children express feelings: in January 2023, learning at Blackburne House Nursery grew from concrete experiences. Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its January 2023 inspection, with effective safeguarding and good education overall.

The nursery serves children aged 2 to 60 months at Blackburne Place, off Hope Street, Liverpool. Its inspection strengths centred on relationships, communication and purposeful play. Two improvement priorities also matter for parents: giving children more opportunities to manage tasks themselves and making staff development more precise.

In January 2023, children could choose activities and resources across indoor and outdoor spaces. Building sandcastles gave them something to share with friends; exploring snow brought together new words, footprints and the chance to watch melting happen. These were tangible starting points for conversation and discovery.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and care. Here, the January 2023 experiences included listening to stories, exploring materials and practising social skills through play. Staff used their knowledge of what children could already do to decide what came next, making activities purposeful for the children taking part.

Books offered another route into language. In January 2023, staff sat with children for stories, listened to their contributions and spoke clearly at their level. That gave children opportunities both to hear words and to use them in conversation.

Personal and social learning ran through the rooms. At that time, staff adjusted their approach to children's ages and used consistent reminders when sharing became difficult. Emotion pictures on wooden blocks let children communicate how they felt by choosing an image or talking. For a child still developing spoken language, that offered another way to express a feeling.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was effective, with agency involvement and timely referrals, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. The special educational needs coordinator reviewed documentation and worked with other agencies, giving support a practical structure.

In January 2023, settling sessions helped children build a relationship with their key person. Moving between rooms also involved visits and time with the next key person. Familiarity was built before the change, which matters for families whose child needs time to adjust.

Babies then had a roomy, well-equipped space with resources suited to their stage. Staff incorporated care routines from home, helping connect nursery care with familiar habits. Electronic communication also shared learning opportunities with parents, providing a way to carry activities between nursery and home.

In January 2023, an intercom controlled entry to the premises. New staff received an induction covering nursery policies and procedures, giving them an introduction to the arrangements they were expected to follow. Safeguarding training was repeated regularly, with quizzes and staff meetings used to refresh knowledge. Staff knew how to recognise possible signs of abuse and whom to contact about a concern. For parents, these details describe the practical arrangements behind the dated safeguarding judgement: control over access to the building, preparation for new staff and continuing attention to recognising and reporting concerns.

Blackburne House Nursery is at Blackburne Place, off Hope Street, Liverpool, L8 7PE. Opening hours are 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. It operates across the year, with a Christmas closure, so the daily window and holiday arrangements matter when planning childcare around work.

In January 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated funding position.

• Doing things independently. In January 2023, children washed and dried their hands themselves, but staff did not always encourage children to attempt tasks they could do themselves. Ask how practitioners now give children time to attempt self-care before helping.
• Staff development. The January 2023 improvement priority was to make supervision and professional development more effective through clearer targets. A visit offers a useful opportunity to discuss how these targets now shape practice.
• Your attendance plan. The opening day runs from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with a Christmas closure. Which booking pattern would fit your week, and how would funding, meals and consumables work within it?

Blackburne House Nursery merits consideration for families seeking weekday childcare off Hope Street who value relationships and communication. Its January 2023 strengths included settling through a key person, conversation around practical play and structured SEND support. The decision should also weigh how today's practice addresses independence and staff development, the two clear improvement priorities from that date.