URN EY555170 · Inspected 2026-09-15 · Published 2026-10-13 · Inspector: Donna Blaney
Tudor House Day Nursery @ Hancock St Unique reference number (URN): EY555170 Address: Hancock Street Children's Centre, Hancock Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 2LZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/11/2017 Registers: EYR Registered person: Synergy Day Care Ltd Inspection report: 15 September 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children typically secure the knowledge that they need to be ready for their next stage in learning. They progress well from their starting points. Gaps in learning are beginning to close. This is important for all children, and it holds particular importance for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children known to social care. Children show their developing knowledge and understanding through play. For example, they confidently name animals and begin to understand that animals are different sizes. Staff reinforce this as they correctly model language to children through play. Children are particularly curious learners. They show persistence and concentration with activities and tasks. This supports children to develop skills of resilience for the future. Children develop skills across the areas of learning that support their future learning. Children generally show an increased interest and enjoyment in books. Books are well placed around the rooms to help children connect to their experiences and play. During story time in pre-school, children correctly remember that the information on the back of the book is called a 'blurb'. This helps them to understand about books while further enriching their vocabulary. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff are kind and nurturing. They provide a calm and relaxed environment for children to learn in. As a result of this, children are generally calm and learn to play with increasing confidence. Leaders keep children at the centre of their decision-making as they plan daily routines that do not interrupt play. For example, older children have a rolling snack time. This gives them flexibility to enjoy snack at a time that suits their play without having to tidy up. Children who do not stay for lunch continue to explore their environment with curiosity alongside a member of staff. This is particularly important as lunchtime begins before some children go home. This ensures children remain engaged in their learning while they wait to go home. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff are positive role models, supporting children to use their manners. As a result of this, children begin to develop positive attitudes to each other and staff. Children tidy up well with the support of staff and learn how to look after their equipment. Staff quickly recognise when some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, get restless as they become overly tired or hungry. They respond calmly and with kindness to any situation that occurs. As a result, children feel secure as staff support them to manage their feelings and behaviour. Leaders work in partnership with parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance. They promptly follow up on any unexplained absences. Parents feel supported and say that they value the time staff take to share information and listen supportively. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff generally have a secure understanding of how to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. They get to know children and families well, which in turn supports individual care routines. Staff typically manage children's sleep, care and feeding routines thoughtfully and safely. Staff carefully support children's growing independence as children of all ages learn to serve themselves. However, at times, staff do not consistently role model good mealtime habits. For example, children serve their snack directly onto the table without bowls or plates. Staff make good use of the outdoor environment to extend children's learning and promote their physical development. For example, babies access their own garden area several times throughout the day. This provides regular opportunities to be outdoors. The older children play out in all weathers and particularly enjoy rainy days. Children curiously notice how their bike tyres make patterns on the wet track as they ride on their balance bike. Children also delight in splashing in puddles together. Staff model words to match sounds connected to water such as 'splish' and 'splash' as they jump around in puddles. Leaders and staff prioritise children's emotional wellbeing. Staff support children to recognise and regulate their feelings through calm, consistent approaches. Staff respond to children who become unsettled, offering them reassurance. This helps children to quickly settle back into their play. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. They gently remind children not to put things in their mouths and not to climb indoors. This helps children understand safe procedures. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff plan activities based on the children's interests, and they are clear about what they want children to learn. As a result, children develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage in learning. Leaders review the curriculum regularly and generally support staff to develop their teaching skills. The curriculum focuses on children's exploration and curiosity and builds progressively on what children already know and can do. Staff observe children and assess their progress regularly, particularly to track children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As such, teaching is generally purposeful and supports children's next steps of learning, including adaptations for children with SEND. Staff understand children's stages of development well. As a result, children enjoy a rich and inclusive curriculum. Staff plan ample opportunities for children to learn through exploring their senses. For example, in the pre-school room, their book of the week is 'A Squash and a Squeeze'. Staff further extend children's learning with a focus on the key words from the title of the book. For example, children investigate citrus fruits in exploration trays. They squash and squeeze the fruits to make 'potions' and mixtures. Children notice when pips fall out of some fruits and explore them with intrigue. Staff use books to explicitly teach mathematical language. For example, while reading their book of the week, a member of staff asks, 'What is the cow doing? Is he on top of the table or under the table?' The children rightly identify that the cow is on top of the table. Staff extend the children's learning even further by getting children to think if this is how we should behave. Children give a considered reply as they say 'No, we should sit on our chairs.' Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff place inclusion at the centre of their practice. They create an inclusive environment where children feel valued and supported. Staff know children well and gather information before the children start nursery. This identifies children's starting points, which inform ongoing assessments. They identify when children may need more support and promptly seek early intervention. As a result, children make sustained progress from their starting points. Staff work closely with families and make effective use of the support available to them, for example, from their children's centre and local authority. This ensures that every child and family benefits from the right support at the right time. Parents speak highly about the support they receive. Children often join nursery speaking English as a second language. Leaders truly celebrate language across the nursery. This is further complemented with bilingual staff. They communicate confidently with children and families in several languages when needed. However, on occasion, children that cannot yet speak start nursery without enough key words from their home language. This means the key person has limited words to use when talking with the children as they settle in. Children in receipt of early years pupil premium are well supported. Leaders buy carefully chosen resources that meet their individual needs. Staff use their knowledge of children's interests when selecting resources. For example, farm animals, jungle animals and dinosaurs immediately engage children's curiosity. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders are mainly accurate in their understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They have established clear processes for monitoring the quality of the provision. They hold regular supervisions with staff to identify where they can further support development. Leaders show commitment and enthusiasm for leading practice at the nursery. They want the best for the children and families that attend the nursery. Leaders are aware of their duty to notify Ofsted of significant events. They also seek guidance from the local authority designated officer when required. Parents speak highly of leaders and value the daily chats and regular updates via an application, which shares information about their child's day. Parents praise leaders and staff for the level of support they receive. They confirm the impact that this support makes to the lives of their children and family. Leaders have a sound understanding of the local initiatives and support available for families. They actively engage with these initiatives. They explain how they work together with local authority services and other professionals. This contributes to a consistent approach and helps ensure that children and families receive the support they need. Leaders are visible throughout the nursery. They prioritise staff wellbeing by providing regular opportunities for staff to discuss workloads. For example, leaders recruit extra staff to help reduce ratios before further support funding begins. Staff feel well supported and are enthusiastic and enjoy their work. As a result of this, team morale is positive and staff retention is good. Staff have regular opportunities to develop their own knowledge and skills. Those responsible for special educational needs and/or disabilities are well trained. They support staff to put in place strategies that support the individual needs of the child. Early evidence gathering helps staff collect information promptly. In turn, this supports timely access to local authority support and intervention where needed. What it's like to be a child at this setting Caring staff greet all children warmly as they arrive at nursery. Children show a sound sense of belonging in the setting. Staff speak in a respectful way to children, listening carefully to them and showing a genuine interest in what they have to say. Children have their voice heard in the pre-school council. For example, they tell leaders and staff that they would like a doctor's set to play with in the home corner. They also request specific physical exercise sessions and more opportunities to bake. This helps children to understand that staff value everyone's views. Children enjoy their time at this nursery and develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their next stage in learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning. Children develop positive social skills and play alongside their peers. Children enjoy their learning and are eager, fascinated and curious learners. They excitedly explore baby stick insects together in pre-school. They work together to try to find the stick insects that have hidden themselves among the leaves in their tank. 'I found one' children declare as staff encourage the stick insect to climb on their finger. 'Do you think they will grow bigger?' staff ask curiously. 'Yes, they are only babies' children say with confidence. They look curiously into a box of eggs that have not hatched yet and talk gently at the eggs as they show care for living things. Staff tell the children they must give them clean leaves and clean their home out for them. This helps children to make connections in their learning. Children typically thrive in all rooms and make steady progress in their learning from their individual starting points. This is because leaders meet regularly with each key person to ensure the curriculum is responsive to the needs of the child. As a result of this, children are better supported to develop across all areas of learning. Inspector: Donna Blaney About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY555170 Address: Hancock Street Children's Centre Hancock Street Blackburn Lancashire BB2 2LZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 30/11/2017 Registered person: Synergy Day Care Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Blackburn with Darwen Next steps Leaders should support staff to ensure key words from children's home languages are gathered and used consistently to help children settle into nursery. Leaders should ensure that staff consistently embed positive mealtime habits during snack time routines. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, children, parents and carers during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 15 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 3 Total number of places 60 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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