Townley House Independent Nursery School

A Friendship Bench for finding a playmate, a Calm Corner for taking a breather and stories that lead into planting and measuring give Townley House Independent Nursery School its character. This Bamber Bridge setting combines familiar play spaces with experiences beyond the nursery, including a riding session at Withy Grove Park and a visit from Poppywood Alpacas. The emphasis is on children practising skills through things that interest them.

At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The current age range is 24 to 60 months. Full days, two half-day windows and ad hoc hours give families different ways to organise attendance, although the nursery's term-time identity matters when planning holiday childcare.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and care: play, conversation and practical exploration help children develop language, physical skills and relationships. Here, stories often become the starting point for something children can make, investigate or look after.

In June 2026, Superworm led to bean planting and discussion about worms and soil. Children also threaded their own worms and used cubes to explore different lengths. The activities linked caring for plants with hand control and early mathematics, rather than treating each as an isolated exercise. In May 2026, The Snail And The Whale accompanied discussions about feeding snails and handling them carefully, with comparisons of size woven into the activity.

Vehicle interests drove the Townley Grand Prix in June 2026. Children made racing cars while exploring colour, and preschool children created patterned flags. This was a particular event built around their interests, rather than a separate branded curriculum. Its practical value lies in using something children already want to talk about to extend language and pattern-making.

In December 2024, mathematical ideas were threaded through play: wrapping boxes introduced vocabulary about length and size, while numbered elves on building blocks encouraged sequencing. Storytelling included questions that invited children to recall what had happened. These examples show the kind of adult interaction involved, with staff extending an activity through conversation rather than simply supplying materials.

Spaces and Social Play

Home Corner supports pretend domestic life, while the Role Play Area changes theme to encourage different stories and perspectives. Miniature figures and settings in the Small World Area give children another way to invent narratives.

The Friendship Bench gives children a recognisable place to invite someone into their play. Alongside it, Calm Corner offers a quieter place to pause and manage feelings. The Library provides books for shared reading.

Outdoor and Community Life

Community exploration includes shops, the dentist, the post office, trains, parks and green spaces. Road safety and consideration for others become practical parts of these outings; park equipment brings opportunities to test physical skills. Open green spaces also give children room to run and explore with friends.

South Ribble Learn To Ride took children to Withy Grove Park in July 2026 for a coached riding session. They followed instructions and kept trying as their confidence grew. A different kind of encounter came with Poppywood Alpacas in July 2025: children fed and stroked the animals, asked questions and felt alpaca wool.

Celebrations have also taken learning beyond the usual day. Graduation Party 2026 included an outing to Wacky Warehouse, with turn-taking, manners and independent lunch choices part of the occasion. Earlier, a December 2024 Christmas trip took children to Aladdin at Victoria Hall in Bolton. The October 2024 Halloween Party included pumpkin bowling, crafts and an investigation station, giving seasonal excitement several practical outlets.

Relationships and Communication

In December 2024, children used morning circle time to talk about feelings and share experiences. Stories and activities also connected with emotions. Children brought their creations to staff and worked alongside them with play dough, giving adults opportunities to understand their interests and plan what came next. The lending library extended reading into family life at home.

Everyday speech and language support includes songs, stories, play and conversation with adults. School preparation centres on independence, friendships, confidence and familiar routines. These are useful priorities for families who want preparation to mean managing everyday life with increasing confidence, rather than rushing towards formal lessons.

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: feedback was not always specific enough and staff were not given individual targets to improve their teaching; leaders also needed stronger checks that staff understood important policies, especially during induction. These are concrete management questions, even alongside the Good judgement. They concern how adults receive feedback and how understanding is checked, rather than whether policies simply exist.

The July 2026 preschool celebrations marked the move towards primary school through a graduation ceremony and an end-of-term water fight and disco. They provided a clear farewell to nursery life. Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place; families seeking a state-school place still use the local authority admissions process.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A Full Day uses that whole window. Half Day Session bookings run either from 7.30am to 1pm or from 12.30pm to 6pm, so the shorter options cover different parts of a parent's day.

Flexible Hours (Ad Hoc) provide another booking pattern, beginning with one hour and continuing in 30-minute blocks. That can suit an occasional shorter day as well as a regular session pattern. The nursery presents itself as term-time provision, and its term-time calendar sets out attendance dates separately from funded-term dates. Families therefore need to plan around the calendar that applies to their booking.

The nursery closes on national bank holidays, with fees still payable and those sessions unable to move to another day. For Christmas 2026, closure begins at 1pm on 24 December, with reopening at 7.30am on 4 January 2027; Christmas-closure fees remain payable and sessions are non-transferable. These terms affect the overall booking commitment, as well as the days children attend.

Getting There

The nursery is in Bamber Bridge, Preston, PR5 6ED, with contact by telephone on 01772 628448 or through its enquiry and booking forms. Station Road and Wesley Street are both used as address details, so the access point deserves attention when arranging a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for qualifying 2-year-olds, 15 universal hours for all 3 and 4-year-olds, and up to 30 hours for eligible working families. Funded-term dates are set out in the nursery calendar. Eligibility depends on the family's circumstances and the decision of the relevant funding body; the entitlement should not be read as a guarantee of a particular booking pattern.

Private-session breakfast is included; meals and refreshments on funded sessions are charged separately where applicable, but children attracting Early Years Pupil Premium have no daily meal charge. Breakfast choices include fruit, toast and cereal, with milk and water.

Optional charges for trips and additional hours are explained before a child starts. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Disability Access Funding may also provide resources and additional support where a child receives Disability Living Allowance and accesses funded childcare.

• Lunch terms. Breakfast is included, but lunch is described both as included and as separately charged through the school kitchen. Confirm the current lunch terms for the chosen booking before agreeing the quotation.
• Term-time planning. The nursery promotes term-time attendance and supplies a separate calendar for it. At a visit, discuss how the chosen full-day, half-day or ad hoc pattern fits those dates and the family's holiday arrangements.
• Teaching and induction. December 2024 improvement priorities concerned individual teaching targets and checks on policy understanding. Ask how staff feedback and induction checks now work in practice.
• Access details. Station Road and Wesley Street both appear in the nursery's address information. Confirm the entrance to use when booking a visit.

Townley House suits families seeking full-day or half-day attendance within a term-time nursery, with ad hoc hours adding a third option. Its strongest character comes from recognisable social spaces and learning that follows children's interests: a book becomes planting, vehicles become pattern-making, and community outings put everyday skills into practice. The December 2024 Good judgement provides the inspection position, while the teaching and induction priorities warrant a specific conversation. Resolve the lunch arrangement and attendance calendar before committing.