Boarshaw Private Day Nursery

A cardboard cow, dinosaur footprints and bricks laid with shaving foam give Boarshaw Private Day Nursery’s June 2024 learning a memorable character: children’s interests became opportunities to explore language, science and mathematics. Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 7 June 2024, judging its education, behaviour, personal development and leadership Outstanding too.

The nursery accepts children from birth to five at Boashaw Sure Start Centre in Middleton, Manchester. Its inspection examples show the value of adapting an activity for different stages: babies practised animal sounds while older children explored where milk comes from.

In June 2024, pretend farm play included a cardboard cow that older children could practise milking, followed by a farm visit to connect the activity with real animals. Dinosaur play took a different route, with children investigating footprints. These were concrete ways to extend an existing interest rather than replace it with an unrelated task.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care. Here, the June 2024 activities connected those aims through play: building walls with play bricks and shaving foam prompted conversations about angles and patterns, while making fruit kebabs brought together colour, shape and sequencing.

Outdoor learning had its own practical purpose in June 2024. Children watered plants in the gardening area and discussed the changes they noticed, connecting physical activity with observation of the natural world. Indoors, making animal masks offered another opportunity to explore patterns.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, children progressing rapidly, and strong progress and engagement among children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The practical support behind those findings included visiting professionals agreeing learning targets and plans with staff.

In June 2024, communication between staff and parents included updates on children’s progress and resource packs to borrow for learning at home. This gave families something practical to use beyond a conversation about the nursery day. Additional funding also bought resources matched to disadvantaged children’s individual learning needs.

Singing alongside signing supported communication across the nursery in June 2024, with babies learning a simple sign and older children building up signs and phrases. Staff also learnt words from children’s home languages to help them settle. When an unkind interaction occurred, adults helped children consider their feelings and the effect of their actions on others, making behaviour guidance part of everyday relationships.

The address is Boashaw Sure Start Centre, Stanycliffe Lane, Middleton, Manchester M24 2PB. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In June 2024, the nursery provided funded education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated description of its funding provision.

• Learning through interests. Farm play and dinosaur footprints shaped activities in June 2024. Families who value practical exploration have concrete examples to weigh here.
• Communication support. June 2024 practice combined signing, singing and words from children’s home languages. This gives language development a clear place in the account of daily care.
• Planning attendance. The opening window runs from 7am to 6pm. At a visit, ask how bookings and any funded hours would fit your intended weekly pattern.

Boarshaw suits families who value practical, interest-led learning and close communication about their child’s development. Its June 2024 examples connect play with purposeful teaching, while borrowed learning resources extend that relationship into the home. The Outstanding judgement is substantial support for that picture, with the daily-care examples anchored to June 2024.