Pendle Court Day Nursery

Separate bedrooms, outdoor space for each age group and visits to Marsden grange care home give Pendle Court Day Nursery a character that extends beyond its playrooms. For babies, the practical appeal starts with somewhere separate to sleep. For older children, it includes an allotment, weekly visiting activities and opportunities to spend time with another generation.

At its 7 March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. That judgement came with clear improvement points: group activities needed better organisation, and staff needed to make more of opportunities to introduce new vocabulary. The balance matters. Hands-on experiences were plentiful, but the teaching around them was not consistently effective.

Based at Unit 5 Pendle Court in Nelson, BB9 7BT, the nursery accepts children from three months to five years and caps attendance at 222 children. That is a whole-setting figure, rather than the size of an individual group. Babies, Toddlers, Littles and Pre-School provide separate stages, with both shorter sessions and longer days offered.

Rooms and Ages

Babies has a stated maximum of 30 children per session, with the room's age band given as three to 18 months; its daily arrangements centre on individual routines, with a separate dining space, bedroom and its own outdoor area. The dedicated sleep space contains twelve cots. Sleep therefore has a physical place of its own, away from the activities elsewhere in the unit.

Toddlers accommodates up to 34 children per session, with an age band of 18 to 30 months; construction, role play, a workshop and mark making sit alongside direct access to outdoor play. These are spaces children can use during free play, rather than equipment brought out only for an adult-led activity. The baby room's upper age boundary is approximate and depends on development; the toddler room also uses approximate ages.

Littles has a stated maximum of 50 children per session between 30 and 42 months; play-based activities, accessible shelving, a bedroom and a dining area support growing independence while retaining somewhere to rest. Pre-School also has a maximum of 50 children per session, for ages 42 to 60 months; its emphasis includes writing, mathematics and ICT, with resources children can choose themselves and a separate dining area.

Those room maxima should be read alongside the nursery's overall attendance cap. They describe individual rooms, rather than a promise that every room operates at its maximum. For families comparing baby care, the youngest room's published size deserves as much attention as its equipment.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, with staff observing children and planning activities around their development. It is the foundation of the day. Pendle Court also uses Birth to Five Matters to guide observation and assessment, and plans activities around children's interests as they emerge.

The additions are concrete. Toddle up and sign provides Makaton sessions for Toddlers, Littles and Pre-School. Hartbeeps brings weekly visiting sessions to Babies and Toddlers, while older children have weekly football coaching and Acrotot sessions with Sandersons Dance Centre. These give the week recurring activities alongside the play children choose themselves.

In March 2022, practical learning included cutting basil with scissors, exploring tools in a construction area and using spices in dough-making. Toddlers practised toothbrushing on toy dinosaurs, connecting an everyday care routine with play. However, staff missed opportunities to teach the vocabulary attached to unfamiliar objects and ingredients, and some group sessions lost children's attention. Resources alone did not do all the work.

Outdoor and Community Life

Each unit has its own outdoor space. Toddlers can move directly between their room and outdoors, while Littles and Pre-School use their playgrounds, the nursery allotment area and walks nearby. This gives outdoor activity a place in the ordinary day, alongside indoor play.

Pre-School visits Marsden grange care home to learn and interact with older people. The value for families is the different social experience: children spend time with people beyond their own age group and the adults who care for them at nursery. These visits sit alongside local outings, rather than being presented as a school admissions link.

Relationships and Communication

A key person takes responsibility for each child's care and development, supported by a buddy who takes over when that practitioner is on annual leave. For babies, this includes feeding, changing and comforting. The arrangement gives parents a clear relationship for sharing routines and discussing their child's needs, with continuity when the usual key person is away.

Settling includes sessions for children and parents before attendance begins, supported by an All about me document and essential information forms. Staff gather information about the child rather than relying on age alone. In March 2022, settling arrangements had been adapted to individual babies following difficulties identified during the pandemic.

ParentZone gives families photographs, activity notes and a timeline of their child's day. Learning observations and next steps are also shared through i-connect, with opportunities for parents to contribute their own ideas. Progress and next steps are shared each term, while annual parents evenings provide scheduled conversations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support strong, including communication cards and individual support for social development. Those are dated findings. Current arrangements include a nursery SENCO working with keyworkers, targeted learning plans and collaboration with professionals such as speech and language services and educational psychologists.

The building is on one level, with wheelchair-accessible doors and outdoor areas, adjustable furniture and accessible toilets in Littles and Pre-School. A sensory room contains lights and interactive resources. These are useful mechanisms for adapting the environment to an individual child, rather than a general promise that one arrangement will suit everyone.

Bilingual staff work with families and the local children's centre where English is an additional language. Staff also receive paediatric first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene training. Before moving to school or another setting, children have a Transition document, with meetings and involvement from their keyworker where this would help the move.

An on-site cook makes meals using fresh ingredients from local suppliers, following a four-week menu cycle. Dietary adaptations include vegetarian and Halal options, so the meal arrangements can accommodate different family requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks. Closures fall on New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. That pattern is useful for families planning care outside school terms, while keeping those closure dates in mind.

Morning choices include 9am to noon, 9am to 1pm, 7.30am to noon and 7.30am to 1pm. Afternoon options run from 1pm to 4pm, noon to 4pm, 1pm to 6pm or noon to 6pm. Longer sessions include 9am to 4pm, 9am to 6pm, 7.30am to 4pm and 7.30am to 5.30pm; an 8.30am to 4pm option is also offered. Additional combinations can be discussed.

A minimum of four sessions per week applies before the term following a child's second birthday. Term-time attendance starts from the term after that birthday and also requires four sessions each week. These conditions make the offer more specific than an unrestricted choice of individual sessions.

Admissions prioritise looked-after children and take account of children's needs, welfare and the nursery's facilities. Waiting-list length also carries weight, and a full-time request may receive preference over part-time attendance depending on work commitments, occupancy and room availability. Parents complete a contract and registration form before their child starts.

Getting There

The address is Unit 5 Pendle Court, Westfield, Nelson, BB9 7BT, with road access from M65 junction 13 and the A6068 Fence by-pass. Parking is level with the nursery and includes designated disabled parking.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and visits are arranged by appointment. The contract records practical information including collection arrangements, allergies, dietary needs and emergency contacts, making those details part of the arrangements before attendance begins.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 and 30 hours, with universal and extended entitlement, working families funding and vulnerable children funding covered by the admissions policy. Eligibility requirements apply. Funding can be used term-time or stretched across 52 weeks, with the stretched offer giving up to 22 hours weekly and adjusted for the eligible start term.

A maximum of ten funded hours can be applied in a day. Additional private hours are charged separately, but taking them is not a condition of accessing funded attendance. Tax-Free Childcare is accepted, and nursery fees are paid monthly in advance. Current prices should be obtained in the nursery's written quotation.

For funded hours, meals and snacks, non-food consumables and activities are charged separately through a voluntary package. These charges are not a condition of taking a funded place, and an opt-out policy applies. Families weighing the offer therefore need to consider the funded attendance pattern and the extra services separately.

• Baby-room size and sleep. Babies has a maximum of 30 children per session and a separate bedroom with twelve cots. During a visit, ask how the room and sleep arrangements work for your baby's routine.
• Teaching during group activities. In March 2022, group organisation and vocabulary teaching needed improvement. Ask how practitioners now keep children involved and introduce new words during practical play.
• Minimum attendance. Four sessions per week are required before the term after the second birthday, and for term-time attendance thereafter. Compare that commitment with the days your family actually needs.
• Funded extras and visiting activities. The consumables package is voluntary and has an opt-out policy. Ask how alternatives work for your chosen sessions and what Hartbeeps and the Sandersons activities involve.

Pendle Court suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as longer days, with term-time attendance available from the term after a child's second birthday. Separate sleep spaces, outdoor access and practical arrangements for additional needs give parents concrete reasons to consider it.

The weekly activities and care-home visits broaden the day, while the four-session minimum shapes who can use the offer comfortably. The Good judgement dates from March 2022, with teaching improvement points concerning group organisation and vocabulary. For families whose attendance needs fit, the strongest appeal is the combination of age-specific spaces, continuity through keyworkers and several ways to organise the nursery week.