Shadsworth Infant School Nursery Review

Super Duper You, colour sorting and learning about feelings give Shadsworth’s nursery a character rooted in children’s everyday lives. This is the nursery provision within Shadsworth Infant School on Rothesay Road, Blackburn, with an Early Years Lead who also holds the nursery teacher role.

At the inspection on 25 and 26 March 2025, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Talking, movement and relationships form the starting point. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum gives priority to communication and language, physical development, and children’s personal, social and emotional development. Alongside these, children explore early literacy and maths, the world around them, and creative expression. For parents, that means learning extends beyond books and counting to how children express themselves and relate to others.

The autumn topic Marvellous Me uses Super Duper You alongside books about families, the body and seasonal change. Maths begins with matching and sorting: children explore colours, then group objects by shape or size. These are concrete tasks children can talk about and repeat through play.

Feelings provides another autumn focus, with Mr Panda’s Feelings supporting work on emotions. Children explore the numbers one and two through counting, recognising numerals and identifying quantities, then make and recognise alternating patterns. Outdoor learning and activities children can explore throughout the session support small hand movements, larger physical movements and creative play.

In March 2025, early years children listened to songs, rhymes and stories and practised recalling what happened in books. Curriculum precision. Some early years learning areas needed clearer decisions about the knowledge children should acquire. This limited how well staff could choose activities, making the purpose behind play and tasks a useful point of discussion for families.

Breakfast Club welcomes nursery children from 8am. Cereal, toast and bagels are among the choices, with juices also offered; Magic Breakfast supplies food and drinks. Activities occupy children before the school day begins, giving families an earlier start alongside breakfast.

For additional needs, the school’s SENCO helps children who need extra or different support. Parent support includes information about autism and ADHD, Education Health and Care Plans, and Blackburn with Darwen’s Local Offer. These give families routes for understanding needs and seeking help.

Staff, volunteers and governors must undertake safeguarding training annually and require enhanced DBS checks. This establishes a school-wide safeguarding requirement around the nursery provision.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline.

Blackburn with Darwen’s local authority is the admissions contact. Its Pupil Support & Admissions Team can be reached on 01254 666605, and school staff offer help with applications. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Published nursery session times are 8.50am to 11.50am for mornings and 12.20pm to 3.20pm for afternoons. Confirm current timings with the school before arranging collection.

For nursery enquiries, telephone 01254 698002, email office@shadsworthinfant.blackburn.sch.uk or use the enquiry form. The school office handles parent queries. Breakfast Club starts at 8am and operates without advance booking. Contact the school for current Breakfast Club charges.