Cornerhouse Day Nursery

Spacecraft, seasonal walks and artwork inspired by different artists gave Cornerhouse Day Nursery’s October 2024 nursery day a recognisable character: children’s interests became starting points for learning. This Lees setting has capacity for 32 children aged 12 to 60 months.

At its 22 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with an ambitious curriculum and positive relationships between children and staff. The judgement came with specific improvements to make in assessment communication, staff coaching and children’s understanding of other communities.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care; in everyday terms, play and adult interaction help children develop their communication, physical skills and understanding of the world.

In October 2024, an interest in space led to conversations about planets and children making their own spacecraft. Nature walks provided a way to explore seasonal change, while outdoor superhero play and art offered different outlets for imagination. These examples show how a topic could move between conversation, making and physical play.

Books also featured prominently that month. Children listened to stories together and chose books during visits to the local library. Babies used low climbing equipment and practised crawling, giving physical exploration a concrete place in their day.

There were limits to the teaching. In October 2024, uneven coaching meant some practitioners received insufficiently precise feedback on their interactions, and some children stopped engaging with activities. Learning about celebrations also needed to extend further into understanding people whose lives differed from their own.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and highlighted strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including prompt interventions and productive work with external professionals. This gives families a dated assessment of both protection and additional support.

During that month, staff set clear behavioural expectations and helped children understand appropriate choices. Practitioners assessed development and used activities to address potential learning gaps, but information about those assessments did not consistently reach parents. Some families consequently lacked a clear picture of their child’s development. That distinction matters: assessing a child and explaining the assessment to their family are separate tasks.

Cornerhouse Day Nursery is on Cross Street, Lees, Oldham, OL4 3BT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with bank holiday closures.

In October 2024, the setting operated for 51 weeks annually and provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Those are the arrangements at that date.

• Understanding progress. Assessment information reached parents inconsistently in October 2024. On a visit, ask how practitioners explain your child’s development and agree next steps with you.
• Keeping children involved. Staff coaching needed greater precision in October 2024 because some children lost interest in learning. The practical issue is how adults recognise disengagement and adapt an activity.
• Learning about others. October 2024 teaching covered festivals but needed to deepen children’s understanding of similarities and differences between people. Families should weigh this alongside the imaginative learning examples.

Cornerhouse suits families seeking weekday childcare in Lees who value learning built around children’s interests. Its October 2024 strengths included imaginative activities and support for additional needs. Clear communication about development and consistent adult interaction are the main points to weigh alongside that positive assessment.