The Nursery Leyland

Puppets for exploring feelings, carrots grown to eat and dolls with hearing aids give The Nursery Leyland a recognisable character. In January 2025, these experiences brought emotional understanding, practical discovery and conversations about difference into children's learning.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The setting has capacity for 51 children, accepting ages from 2 to 60 months, at Wade Hall, Children's Centre in Leyland.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports language, physical skills and understanding of the world. In January 2025, activities built on what children already knew, with colour mixing giving them a reason to predict, explain and exchange ideas.

Small-group conversations, songs and stories gave children opportunities to practise speaking and listening. Outdoors, children invented potions and grew carrots to eat, connecting exploration with practical experience. Daily outdoor play included bikes, while rolling pins and dough exercised smaller movements indoors. These were different ways to develop control and coordination.

Books about differences between people and dolls with hearing aids opened up discussion about other people's experiences. Concrete objects made those conversations easier for young children to join.

In January 2025, staff gathered information about children's needs and family backgrounds when they first started attending, using it to help them settle. A trained counsellor worked with children through puppet sessions about emotions and ways to respond to them. Praise for listening and sharing reinforced expected behaviour in everyday interactions.

At the January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with parents and other professionals to tailor learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children, supporting good progress and preparation for their next stage.

There were also limits to the approach. In January 2025, children's home cultures and heritage were not consistently represented from the start, despite staff knowing about their families. Staff supervision and training also needed more effective individual mentoring and coaching to make teaching consistently strong across the team.

The address is Wade Hall, Children's Centre, Royal Avenue, Leyland, PR25 1BX. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year, with bank holiday closures.

In January 2025, session times ran from 8am until 6pm, and the nursery received funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That dated funding position is useful context for families considering an early education place.

• Family identity. In January 2025, children's cultures and heritage needed fuller representation from the outset. At a visit, ask how your child's home language, traditions and family experiences would shape their settling and daily activities.
• Consistency of teaching. Individual staff mentoring and coaching needed strengthening in January 2025. Ask how practitioners now receive support to develop their teaching.

The Nursery Leyland suits families who value practical play alongside deliberate support for language and emotions. Its January 2025 experiences linked growing food, physical activity and discussion of differences with children's everyday learning. Year-round weekday opening also gives it a clear practical role for families needing care across the working week. The two improvement priorities, cultural representation and staff development, deserve attention alongside those strengths.