CareLoveLearn at Tarleton Nursery

A covered play space for babies, a secret stage for toddlers and swimming at Tarleton academy swimming pool give this Tarleton nursery a recognisable character. Children have different environments as they grow, rather than simply moving between rooms with the same resources. The youngest can practise moving on a soft outdoor surface; older children can investigate growing things, perform and explore the water.

CareLoveLearn at Tarleton Nursery occupies a detached property at 78 Hesketh Lane, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AQ, with capacity for 52 children aged three months to five years. Daisy room, Bluebell room and Sunflower room divide that age span into baby, toddler and preschool stages.

At its February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged inclusion Strong standard, the other evaluated areas Expected standard, and safeguarding standards met. That balance matters: support for additional needs was the strongest assessed area, while teaching interactions and opportunities to practise independence remained priorities.

Full-time and term-time attendance sit alongside morning and afternoon bookings, with flexible hours for children receiving special funding.

Rooms and Ages

Daisy room accommodates up to 12 babies aged three months to two years, combining activities for early communication and movement with an individual routine and its own covered, soft-surfaced outdoor space. Crawling, walking, climbing and learning to feed themselves belong to this stage. The outdoor surface gives babies somewhere to practise those emerging movements beyond the indoor room.

For children aged two to three, Bluebell room has a stated capacity of 16, with a book corner, construction, role play, sand and water supporting exploration and growing independence, plus direct access to its garden. These resources give toddlers different ways to investigate an interest: building something, acting out an idea or experimenting with materials.

Sunflower room accommodates up to 24 children aged three to five, using three large rooms, including a construction room, to develop imagination, language and fine movement alongside immediate outdoor access. Choosing activities, serving themselves at lunch and practising personal hygiene form part of preparation for school. These are room capacities, rather than a statement about how many children attend together on any particular day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides Sunflower planning across the areas of learning, so play supports language, movement, early mathematics, creativity and children's understanding of the world. It is the statutory foundation for early education. Here, preschool activities also follow children's interests, with challenges built around what they are ready to attempt.

In February 2026, practitioners used questions, examples of language and conversations to develop children's ideas. Mathematical thinking appeared within play: children digging for worms compared their shapes and sizes. Sensory and investigative trays offered another route into exploring materials and solving problems. These examples make the learning tangible, rather than separating early mathematics from things children want to do.

The February 2026 teaching priorities were equally concrete. Activities were not always adjusted sufficiently as play unfolded, leaving some quieter or less-engaged children on the edges. Extending learning depended too much on the interaction a child happened to receive. For parents, the relevant issue is how staff bring a hesitant child into an activity and then help that child take it further.

Outdoor and Community Life

Bluebell's garden contains a bug hotel, mud kitchen and vegetable garden, with climbing equipment and balancing tyres adding physical challenges. The secret stage gives imaginative play a place outdoors, too. Planting seeds and examining small creatures put changes in the natural world within toddlers' reach.

Sunflower children can move freely into the garden, where water and sand play sit alongside bikes and scooters. The mud kitchen adds materials to mix and investigate. Outdoor provision therefore includes both active movement and slower exploration, useful for children who engage through different kinds of play.

Babies visit Tarleton library to select books for stories, and staff take them to the local park in the Buggy Bus where possible. For children over three, swimming lessons take place with a qualified instructor at Tarleton academy swimming pool. Children attending nursery on swimming day receive priority; those attending on another day may still be able to join.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a Key Worker whose responsibilities include building a relationship, exchanging information with parents and following development through observation. This gives families a familiar person with responsibility for understanding their child, rather than relying solely on whichever practitioner happens to be present.

In February 2026, younger children turned to familiar staff for comfort, while older children sought help with practical tasks. Feeding, weaning and sleep arrangements reflected individual needs. For a baby moving between home and nursery routines, that attention to personal patterns is more relevant than a single timetable imposed on everyone.

Staff development includes appraisal and training, and the Tarleton team receives regular safeguarding training alongside first-aid and food-hygiene preparation. These are arrangements for maintaining practice, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised additional needs early, used individual support plans which they reviewed and adjusted, worked with families and external agencies, and used funding to reduce barriers to learning. The practical value lies in the sequence: identify the need, agree support, assess its effect and change it when necessary.

A SEND coordinator role sits within the preschool team. Each child has a Key Worker, and the SEND coordinator supports families of children with additional needs. The arrangement offers a clear starting point for discussing individual needs.

Independence was less consistent in February 2026. Children had chances to pour drinks, but staff sometimes took over tasks such as fastening coats, wiping noses or serving food. Those small routines matter because they let children practise manageable challenges repeatedly. The next steps called for more consistent interactions and routines, alongside better adaptation of activities for children who were less confident or less involved.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Attendance runs across the year, with closures for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Nursery bookings include daily, morning and afternoon patterns, as well as full-time and term-time places; flexible hours apply to children receiving special funding.

Separate clubs extend the attendance offer. Breakfast club opens at 7.30am during term time, while afterschool club runs from the end of the school day until 6pm, also during term time. Holiday club operates during school holidays except Christmas, from 7.30am to 6pm. These club arrangements should be distinguished from the nursery's morning and afternoon bookings.

Enrolment forms can be returned by email or delivered or posted to the nursery. The Tarleton contact number is 01772 815111, and enquiries use tarletondaynursery@gmail.com.

Getting There

The Hesketh Lane premises have parking for collection and drop-off. The detached building also houses the separate age-group environments, so the nursery's indoor organisation and outdoor provision are part of the same site.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for three-year-olds. Meals and snacks are included in the weekly and daily private rates, but are charged separately for children receiving three-year government funding. Families comparing private and funded attendance should therefore distinguish the childcare entitlement from the food bill.

Activity fees are included except swimming lessons, which sit outside that inclusion. Payment is due in advance, with invoices issued by calendar month, and a sibling discount may apply when two or more siblings attend together. There is no charge for the Christmas closure week or Bank Holiday Mondays. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the Tarleton fees page explains the payment structure.

• Participation in play. February 2026 priorities included drawing quieter children into activities and extending their learning. During a visit, ask staff to explain how they adjust an activity when a child watches rather than joins in.
• Practising independence. Staff sometimes completed self-care tasks for children in February 2026. Ask how daily routines now give children time to attempt coats, serving food and other manageable tasks themselves.
• Settling into Daisy room. The baby room combines individual routines with a capacity of 12. Discuss how introductory visits, your baby's sleep pattern and contact with the Key Worker will fit together.
• Funded attendance and swimming. Food is charged separately for three-year funded children, and swimming is excluded from activity-fee inclusion. Request a written quotation covering the attendance pattern and extras you intend to use.

CareLoveLearn at Tarleton Nursery suits families seeking full-time attendance or term-time places, as well as those choosing morning or afternoon bookings. Its strongest practical attractions are the separate age-group environments, baby outdoor space, toddler garden features and preschool swimming option.

The February 2026 assessment gives inclusion particular weight, but the decision should also account for the teaching and independence priorities. Families whose children need encouragement to join play have a precise point to explore. For those wanting outdoor investigation, gradual self-care practice and a familiar Key Worker, the offer has substance, with the quality of everyday interactions the central consideration.