URN EY553522 · Inspected 2026-09-24 · Published 2026-10-21 · Inspector: Kate Bate Laura Farrell
Croft House Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY553522 Address: Bridge Street, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 7BT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 26/10/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Croft House Nursery Limited Inspection report: 24 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make excellent progress from their starting points. Children are consistently given abundant opportunities to reach their full potential. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy achieving and develop resilience and self-esteem. Babies and children become curious and independent learners. They develop awe, wonder and fascination for the world around them. Babies clap their hands as nurturing staff sing songs and cuddle them. Young children collect leaves enthusiastically outside and talk about the different colours. They build ramps for their trucks and laugh as they race them down together. Older children explain why they know the holly bush is male and examine spider webs closely. They use rich, expressive language to describe a feather. All children, including those with SEND, achieve consistently high levels of learning and are extremely well prepared for their next stage in learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders set exceptionally high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children flourish in the calm and nurturing learning environment. Routines are embedded extremely well, and children consistently know and understand what is expected of them. Behaviour is exemplary and leaders and staff are highly effective role models. They consistently teach children to be curious, kind and respectful learners. Children learn to talk about their feelings and to focus on what matters. Young children beam with pride as they learn to put their puddle suits on by themselves. Older children smile as they toast brioche around a campfire, closely following clear instructions of how to keep themselves and others safe. Children thrive on the encouragement they receive from staff and grow in confidence, independence and self- esteem. All children, including those with SEND, settle incredibly quickly and develop extremely positive attitudes to learning and to each other. Leaders have formed highly effective links with children's families and the local community. They help to promote attendance through regular, exciting and engaging family events. Parents and carers say they feel extremely well connected with life at the nursery. All children, including those with SEND, make accelerated progress from their starting points. Children are extremely well prepared for their next stage in learning, including school. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders ensure that children's welfare and wellbeing are supported extremely well. This is a significant strength of the setting. Leaders are incredibly attentive to children's needs and understand the barriers they may face particularly well. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy daily access to awe-inspiring outdoor learning. Children grin as they whisk, pour and filter scented water outside in the woods. They examine spiders, collect leaves and crush herbs to make 'potions'. Children climb trees, ride bikes and sit around campfires together in forest school. They show high levels of engagement and learn to take managed risks. Children build confidence and self- esteem as they learn exciting new things. Leaders have formed highly effective links with the local community. For example, children visit the park and duck pond together. They listen to stories at the library, and older children attend regular swimming lessons. Children sing songs with residents at a local nursing home and play organised games on the field with older school children. Children consistently learn important social skills as they explore the world around them. This helps children to develop extremely effective communication skills as they make new friends. Leaders and staff know their children extremely well, including those with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. They are highly responsive and consistently ensure that all teaching is precisely focused to meet each individual need. Skilful adaptations mean that all children make consistently abundant progress from their starting points. Securely embedded hygiene practices and routines, such as toothbrushing, help to keep children safe. Children learn to make their own healthy choices and consistently form positive habits. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have developed a highly ambitious and inclusive curriculum that helps to promote children's curiosity and love of learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported extremely well. Highly stimulating activities are acutely and expertly adapted to meet children's care and education needs. Staff model how to crush herbs in a mortar and pestle. They help children to use the hand whisk to make herbal tea for a character in a book. Children are taught how to forage safely and collect nature jewels to stick onto a paper crown. Older children are supervised closely as they learn to climb the tree and manage risks. Teaching is of a consistently high quality and has a significantly positive impact on the progress children make. All children, including those with SEND, are prepared extremely well for their next stage in learning. The rich curriculum teaches independence and physical skills particularly well. Young babies giggle as they learn how to pull themselves up, supported by gentle staff. Young children work together to balance across a beam outside. Older children carefully follow instructions and learn how to climb a muddy bank sideways and say they are moving 'like a crab'. Children display high levels of confidence as they learn new skills and make links in their learning. Mathematical skills are taught consistently well. Highly effective teaching challenges children to think for themselves and builds knowledge over time. Experienced staff skilfully weave language about shapes, size and numbers into children's play. Children talk about pouring water through the sieve but not through the acorn. All children, including those with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning, develop extremely positive attitudes to their learning and to each other. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff know their children extremely well. They create a beautifully inclusive culture that puts the needs of all children at the heart of everything they do. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders and staff build highly effective relationships with families and, through home visits, they gather a wealth of information about each child before they start. Their consistently robust procedures ensure that any additional barriers and needs are expertly identified and any adaptations are swiftly made. Passionate leaders work closely with external agencies and set and monitor children's targets with rigorous precision. This ensures that all children, including those with SEND, make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points. The stimulating and interesting learning opportunities are designed to suit individual children's care and learning needs. Highly qualified staff get down to the children's level and model high-quality interactions. They develop children's communication and physical skills particularly well. Babies giggle as they explore the ramps and pull themselves up with the help of supportive staff. Young children count '1, 2, 3' as they roll balls down the pipes together. Older children safely explore the meadow and climb into a hammock. They learn new words such as 'nocturnal' and talk about berries and feathers. All babies and children, including those with SEND, feel included and listened to. They receive the best possible support, which enables them to thrive. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders are incredibly ambitious. They possess a highly successful oversight of the setting and strive to ensure the very best outcomes for all children. Leaders are highly motivated and have a clear vision of how to move the setting forwards. Leaders and staff ensure all teaching is fully inclusive and consistently meets the needs of all children. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have established highly effective links with external agencies and robust systems to identify any gaps in children's learning. All children make highly impressive progress from their starting points. Leaders have embedded a highly supportive culture where staff feel empowered and valued. They undertake regular supervisions and ensure continued professional development is acutely focused to meet staff learning needs. Leaders use additional funding wisely to meet the needs of individual children. This has a significantly positive impact on the lives of all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing and those with SEND. Leaders have established highly productive links with the local community. For example, children enjoy regular visits to the library, swimming pool, church and local care home. They learn highly valuable life skills and form an acute sense of belonging. Leaders have forged highly positive relationships with parents and carers. They offer a wealth of evening and weekend enrichments for parental engagement, ranging from supportive workshops to afternoon tea and doughnuts. Parents are extremely complimentary of the regular family events at weekends, further embedding the setting's inclusive and supportive culture. Transitions are handled particularly well, and children work with teachers prior to moving to school. All children, including those with SEND, settle extremely swiftly and form meaningful relationships with adults. They are excellently prepared for their next stage of learning. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children arrive excited and ready to learn at this calm and inclusive setting. They are welcomed by nurturing and experienced adults who know their children incredibly well. Babies settle extremely quickly and giggle as they pull themselves up on safe furniture. Young children cuddle patient staff who talk about strawberries and bears. Older children work together to build ramps for their trucks to roll up and down. All children display a deep affection for one another and build highly positive relationships with experienced and kind staff. They access a well-designed learning environment that reflects high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps children to feel safe and secure and form consistently positive attitudes to learning and to each other. All children make excellent progress from their starting points. This includes children with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Babies giggle as they hit the drum and nurturing adults sing to them. Young children sit and listen to interactive and interesting stories. They smile as they learn new words. Older children use expressive language to describe aeroplanes in the sky. They learn to recognise their name and talk about shapes and numbers. By the time they leave Nursery, all children are extremely well prepared for school. All children, including those with SEND, experience exciting outdoor learning opportunities with highly skilled teachers. Young children ride bikes and roll balls down chutes. Older children learn to take appropriate risks, such as climbing trees and toasting bread on an open fire. They show high levels of involvement when talking about spiders and using simple tools. Children learn independence and develop confidence and self-esteem. Children's physical skills are developed consistently well. Babies squeal with delight and clap when attentive adults say their name. Young children beam with pride as they learn to put on their own wellies and pour their own drinks. Older children smile as they carry their own tray of food and learn to use a knife and fork. All children display high levels of engagement and behave consistently well. This helps children to feel safe and form a firm sense of belonging. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help, to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during this 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. Inspectors: Kate Bate Laura Farrell About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY553522 Address: Bridge Street Horwich Bolton BL6 7BT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 26/10/2017 Registered person: Croft House Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Bolton Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 24 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 11 Total number of places 154 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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