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Nursery at St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A large, open-plan early years unit gives this nursery its defining feature: nursery children share a unit with Reception within St Alban's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn. Children can join from the first term after their third birthday. This is a school-based start, on Trinity Street near Blackburn town centre, rather than a separate childcare setting.
Catholic identity shapes the setting, while the school also welcomes children from other faiths and cultures. In September 2024, Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection outcome.
Stories and collaborative creative work are concrete strengths of the early years experience. In September 2024, children listened intently when adults read stories and sustained their concentration while creating together. For parents, these are useful signs of engagement: children were both absorbed in listening and able to stick with a shared task.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum includes nursery planning for music, science, geography and physical education. It gives the learning a broader scope than early reading alone. Religious education includes the Come and See programme at EYFS level, making the Catholic character part of the curriculum too.
The open-plan unit is the main indoor feature. Beyond it, the school occupies large grounds with three playgrounds. These are school facilities, rather than a promise that nursery children use every playground. The distinction matters when picturing the space available to the youngest children.
Teachers have full-time teaching assistants alongside them in each class, providing another layer of support for children's learning. In September 2024, early years children treated adults and one another courteously. Alongside their collaborative work, that gives parents a concrete picture of the social habits being developed.
For families seeking support with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), the school's SENCO team can be contacted through the school office. This provides a direct contact for discussing a child's needs. The school describes inclusion as part of its approach and says it supports children with special educational needs.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as two distinct steps.
Sharing an early years unit puts nursery provision alongside Reception physically. That arrangement should be kept separate from the question of admission: familiarity with a school does not secure a place in its next intake.
Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions run from 12.00pm to 3.15pm. These give families two clear collection points to plan around. The nursery describes its weekly provision as 15 hours, or provision with a 30-hour code.
Punctual collection. Children are expected to arrive and be collected on time, to avoid distress and interruption to learning. Build those session boundaries into travel and work arrangements.
For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01254 57582 or email office@stalbans.blackburn.sch.uk. School visits are welcomed.
Children can access the early years provision from the first term after their third birthday.
Morning sessions are 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions are 12.00pm to 3.15pm.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process by the deadline for the relevant entry year.
The school's early years provision was judged Good at the Ofsted inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. This was a school inspection, not a separate nursery judgement.
Contact the school office on 01254 57582 or email office@stalbans.blackburn.sch.uk.
