Carleton Childcare

Outdoor play and close links with a primary-school setting give Carleton Childcare its character. Based at St Hildas School on Bispham Road, Carleton, it has capacity for 46 children aged three months to five years, with baby care, nursery and preschool provision.

At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received individual support that helped them progress. The practical strengths included conversation during play, attention to children's emotions and preparation for starting school. Two improvement priorities accompanied that judgement: allowing children to do more for themselves and making staff's teaching intentions clearer.

Morning, afternoon and full-day care sit alongside flexible and term-time attendance. That gives families several ways to use the nursery, rather than a single attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the day through play, communication, movement and early experiences of reading and number. It is the shared early-years framework; Carleton's concrete examples include children discussing news together, measuring water in containers and choosing books in the reading area. These connect early learning to things children can handle, try and talk about.

A climbing frame provides an outlet for movement, while a water tray gives counting and measurement a practical setting. Preschool planning emphasises language, physical development and children's relationships and emotions. The value is in bringing those areas together through activities, rather than treating learning as a sequence of formal lessons.

In December 2024, adults expanded children's vocabulary by repeating their contributions with extra descriptive language. Mud play became an opportunity to talk about texture, and group conversations drew on experiences from home. This gave children reasons to speak: they had something immediate to describe or a memory to share.

Teaching needed greater precision, however. In December 2024, some staff were unsure how to translate curriculum aims into activities, leaving the intended learning too broad. An appealing activity and a clear learning purpose are different things; families should weigh both.

Outdoor and Community Life

Eco-Schools adds an environmental strand through composting and the reuse of materials. The award programme supports sustainable habits, and those practical activities give children a way to participate rather than simply hear about recycling.

In December 2024, forest school sessions involved outdoor problem-solving through play. In one example, children used a stick to help a friend pretending to be trapped in mud. The important detail is the cooperation: children had to respond to someone else's problem and find a workable solution together.

The education programme also includes participation in the local school's sports day. School-uniform role play provides another bridge between nursery experiences and the next stage, making unfamiliar routines something children can explore through play.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides the regular link between each child, their family and the nursery. Conversations can take place in person or by telephone, so communication need not depend entirely on a brief exchange during the nursery day.

Parents can look through their child's file, which brings together photographs, comments and significant moments in development. Annual information evenings explain the care and education, termly newsletters share activities, and a monthly letter invites families to contribute what their child is learning at home. These offer different ways to stay involved, from a conversation to a more detailed look at progress.

In December 2024, staff used information about home experiences when planning activities and shared ideas for continuing learning with parents. This made communication useful in both directions: families contributed interests, while staff offered ways to build on nursery experiences.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Stories and pictures helped children discuss feelings in December 2024, including different words for similar emotions. Adults also modelled behaviour and maintained clear routines. These were practical ways of helping children understand both their own reactions and those of their friends.

Independence was less consistent. In December 2024, children were encouraged to manage eating and put away belongings, but adults sometimes removed coats or dealt with noses when children could have practised those tasks themselves. For families approaching school age, everyday self-care deserves attention alongside language and early number work.

All staff have first-aid training, and regular meetings and training sessions support the team's practice. Parents receive access to nursery policies as part of induction, including safeguarding, health and safety, and risk assessments.

Later safety actions also matter alongside the graded judgement. Ofsted accepted amended risk assessments in October 2025 and accepted further safeguarding and welfare actions in January 2026 following concerns about supervision, staff deployment and risk assessment. The January response included staff training and revised arrangements for supervising children; risk assessment had therefore required attention on more than one occasion.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery's address is St Hildas School, Bispham Road, Carleton, FY6 7PE, on the site of Carleton St Hilda’s School. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday; it operates throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas.

A full morning runs from 7.30am to 12.45pm, an afternoon from 1.15pm to 5.30pm, and a full day from 7.30am to 5.30pm. Holiday full-day hours are 8am to 5.30pm. Flexible care can include a single three-hour session, and term-time-only attendance is also an option. These are different arrangements with different implications for working hours and family routines.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01253 882171 or by email to info@carletonchildcare.co.uk. The nursery aims to respond to contact-form messages within 24 hours.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the three- and four-year-old entitlement described as 15 hours for 38 weeks, with eligibility beginning in the term after the third birthday; eligible families may also use the 30-hour grant. Funding for two-year-olds is conditional on eligibility, with Lancashire County Council providing confirmation following an application check.

School lunch is included in morning and full-day care. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Moving on to School

In December 2024, events and visits helped children become familiar with primary-school teachers and surroundings before starting school. Being on a school site and taking part in transition activities does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Safety arrangements after repeated action. Risk assessment required action in both October 2025 and January 2026, with supervision also addressed in January. During a visit, ask how staff deployment and supervision now work across indoor and outdoor play.
• Independence and purposeful teaching. December 2024 improvement priorities concerned children completing tasks themselves and staff knowing exactly what activities should teach. Ask for examples of how those priorities have changed everyday practice.
• Choosing an attendance pattern. Morning care includes lunch and finishes at 12.45pm; afternoon care starts at 1.15pm. Discuss which pattern, including flexible or term-time attendance, matches your routine, and request a written quotation explaining funded-hours extras and consumables.

Carleton Childcare suits families considering morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, flexible care or term-time attendance. Outdoor learning, practical EYFS activities and several routes for parent communication give it a recognisable offer, while school-site experiences support preparation for the next stage.

The Good judgement from December 2024 deserves to be read alongside the teaching and independence priorities and the later, completed safety actions. The strongest next step is a visit centred on those concrete questions: purposeful activities, children's self-care and how supervision works in practice.