URN EY490431 · Inspected 2026-09-23 · Published 2026-10-20 · Inspector: Louise Jarvis
Educare For Early Years (Brockhall) Unique reference number (URN): EY490431 Address: Damson Close, Brockhall Village, Blackburn, BB6 8HL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 10/06/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Educare For Early Years Limited Inspection report: 23 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 All children typically make progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known or previously known to social care and those who may face barriers to their learning. Children develop knowledge and skills across the 7 areas of learning. This suitably prepares them for the next stage in their development. Children show a 'can-do' attitude as they confidently explore the environment. They access both the indoor and outdoor environments with confidence. Children show increasingly high levels of concentration during the activities. For example, children spend time building with the magnetic shapes and enjoy riding on the trikes. Children gain a secure foundation in their personal, social, emotional and physical skills. Children talk about what they are making, share their ideas with their friends and invite others into their play. They confidently use their physical skills both inside and outside. For example, children enjoy dancing and using the climbing equipment. They develop their muscles through drawing and exploring the play dough. Babies enjoy using their muscles as they pull themselves up and excitingly explore sensory resources such as water. Children make progress in their communication and language. Older children confidently talk about the activities they are completing. For example, children talk about trying different fruits at home and making flowers out of the play dough. Babies learn words through songs, where they join in with different nursery rhymes with enthusiasm. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff are kind and are positive role models for the children. Leaders and staff encourage positive behaviours. For example, staff support the children with sharing resources, commenting on why this is important and explaining how to do this. However, at times, staff do not give clear explanations to children. As a result, children do not consistently develop an understanding of what they need to do and why. That being said, children show positive behaviour throughout the nursery. They follow the well-embedded routines as they confidently move from room to room or outside. For example, when going outside, the older children put on their own wetsuits. Children independently wash their hands after playing in the sand or outside. As a result, they show positive attitudes to their learning. Children access the activities and resources with confidence. They build caring and warm relationships with their key person and other members of staff. Children will seek out their key person to share their play with or when they need comfort. Staff are considerate of children's individual needs. For example, they adapt routines to meet these needs when needed. They follow children's routines from home. As a result, children feel safe and secure and settle quickly. Leaders have systems in place to check attendance and promote the importance of attendance with parents. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff create a welcoming and safe environment. Staff gather information about children's likes, interests and allergies before they start. Children develop secure attachments with their key person. This means children settle quickly into the nursery and have a sense of belonging. Staff regularly share information with parents, for example, through regular newsletters and parents' evenings. This helps to meet the needs of the children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known or previously known to social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff embed effective transitions as children move through the nursery or to a new room. As a result, children access the different activities and resources with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Leaders and staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing within the nursery. Staff embed safer sleep routines and supervise children during mealtimes. Mealtimes are a social occasion, where children sit together and staff promote children's social skills. Children learn about foods that are healthy for them. They enjoy exploring the outdoor area and excitingly join in with yoga sessions. This means children develop an understanding of healthy choices and lifestyles. Children learn about oral health. For example, staff encourage children to brush their teeth using a chart and invite dentists into the nursery. Children follow the embedded hygiene practices. They independently wash their hands after indoor and outdoor activities and before mealtimes. As a result, they develop an understanding of the importance of personal hygiene. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders provide a broad curriculum. They know what they want children to learn, and the curriculum is sequenced throughout the nursery. For example, younger children develop independent feeding skills at mealtimes, while older children independently clear their own plates. This means that children develop the knowledge and skills needed as they progress through the nursery. Leaders and staff provide an inclusive curriculum for the children attending the nursery. They adapt activities to meet the stage of development of the children. For example, they adapt messy activities to support children's sensory needs. Typically, staff adapt the theme of the curriculum for the age and stage of the children and prepare children for their next step in learning. For example, babies develop their senses through touch, and older children talk about the different senses. However, at times, staff plan activities that are not age-appropriate for children. As a result, children can sometimes miss valuable building blocks in their learning. For example, children have access to letters when they have not learned about the meaning of them. Children talk confidently about what they are learning. For example, they talk about what they can smell and use words such as 'fluffy' to describe what they can feel. Staff model words such as 'sour' and 'sweet' and enhance children's natural curiosity, for example, when children become excited about finding a ladybird. Staff enhance this further by talking about what they have found and encouraging the children to explore further. Staff promote a love of books. The children enjoy a book of the week, and staff promote language with the children. Leaders and staff teach children emerging mathematical concepts during their play. For example, children confidently count the natural resources and use mathematical language to describe what they are making. Leaders and staff promote children's personal, social and emotional development. Children confidently explore the nursery, play alongside each other and make friends. There is a real focus on children's physical development throughout the nursery. Children enjoy yoga sessions, where they join in enthusiastically. Babies enjoy baby massage and become confident to use their physical skills to negotiate the environment. As a result, they strengthen their muscles, and this supports their physical development. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff quickly identify children's needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known to or previously known to social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning. They work in conjunction with professionals and families. Leaders and staff provide appropriate strategies to support children's individual needs. They share these strategies with parents to support their children at home. For example, staff share ideas on how to promote communication and language. This allows for a consistent approach, both in nursery and at home. Leaders and staff receive suitable training to enable them to support children's learning and development. They identify any gaps in children's learning quickly. Leaders and staff undertake observations and assessments and regularly update children's individual plans. This allows staff to support children within the nursery. As a result, children make progress from their starting points. Leaders work closely with other professionals such as a specialist teacher and a physiotherapist. They ensure children receive the support needed and provide activities to support development. For example, staff provide sensory opportunities to help children to manage their emotions. This demonstrates that leaders and staff generally meet the needs of the children well. Leaders understand how to use additional funding. For example, they provide extra staff or resources linked to children's interests. This allows children to access age- and stage- appropriate activities to support their learning and development. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders understand the context of the setting and are ambitious for all children. They are aware of the needs of the children and families that attend the setting. Leaders maintain an oversight of the nursery. They identify areas for improvement and put in place strategies to support this. For example, leaders are prioritising ongoing staff training. They identify gaps in professional development and plan training to support staff. Leaders share training with other staff members within the room to help support the children, for example, sharing baby massage training to help babies' social and emotional development. Leaders ensure that staff working with children are suitable. They implement an effective recruitment and induction procedure. This includes mandatory training, such as safeguarding. Leaders have regular meetings with staff and mentor newer members. This allows staff to carry out their roles successfully. Leaders and staff work well together and are enthusiastic about the care and learning they provide for children. Parents speak highly of the leaders and staff, and parent partnerships are well established. Leaders work collaboratively with parents and professionals to support children. Leaders and staff provide regular updates on children's learning and next steps. They encourage daily conversations with parents. As a result, parents feel well informed about their children's development. 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 are cared for and treated with respect at this nursery. They build secure relationships with their key person and will seek them out for comfort when needed. Children enjoy sharing their play with their key person and friends within the nursery. For example, children are excited to build a birthday cake together using the magnetic shapes. They follow the embedded and well-structured routine. As a result, they develop their personal, social and emotional skills. There is a sense of belonging within the nursery. Children are happy and secure and show positive behaviour. They access the different activities and resources with confidence and become excited when they achieve a goal. Children explore both the indoor and outdoor environments, where they are inquisitive. For example, children enjoy finding mini beasts and become excited when exploring to find more. They show curiosity as they play and explore their senses. Children access a curriculum that is typically taught well, and their interests are promoted. For example, children enjoy kicking a ball outside and exploring the woodland. They benefit from staff knowing them well. Children's needs and areas of development are taken into consideration within the nursery, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known or previously known to social care and those who may face barriers to their learning. For example, children access a range of activities that are adapted to meet their needs. As a result, children make progress from their starting points. Children develop their physical skills throughout their time in the nursery. They join in with regular yoga sessions with enthusiasm and have regular access to the outdoor area. Children enjoy singing and group times and talk about what they are making. They learn new words as they learn through play. For example, they learn the word 'stem' when making flowers out of the play dough. As a result, they make progress with their communication and language development. Next steps Leaders should support staff to ensure that they plan activities that are age- and stage- appropriate for children. Leaders should support staff to implement positive behaviour strategies to ensure all children understand what is expected of them. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and children 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 Inspector: Louise Jarvis About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY490431 Address: Damson Close Brockhall Village Blackburn BB6 8HL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 10/06/2015 Registered person: Educare For Early Years Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Lancashire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 23 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 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. Total number of places 85 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. 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