A Blackburn nursery has seen its rating slip from outstanding to good following an inspection by Ofsted.

Evolution Childcare, in Shadsworth Business Park, was inspected on May 23, having been handed an outstanding rating at its most recent inspection in 2018.

In the latest report, inspectors said: “Children, including those with special education needs or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a rich curriculum.

"Staff provide a wide range of new and exciting experiences that broaden children's understanding of the world.”

The fostering of strong staff-parent relationships was noted as a particular strength, which benefitted children’s development through continuity between home and nursery.

The report continued: “Staff plan a broad range of activities that link to children's interests and promote their learning across all aspects of their development.

“The dedicated manager strives to continually improve the quality of the care and education that the nursery provides.

"She accurately identifies the strengths of the nursery and areas for development.

“Staff support children to develop positive attitudes to learning. They help children to build their resilience.

"For example, as children attempt to stack tyres in the outdoor area, staff praise them for not giving up when it becomes difficult.”

Evolution Childcare was also commended for its prioritisation of health and well-being, with children and staff provided nutritious food at mealtimes and health snacks.

Despite this, the report said  staff were not always clear about the precise next steps for the children’s learning, and do not always target their interactions to promote next steps.

In transition periods such as meal times they report felt that staff struggled to ensure that children were constantly engaged in learning and resulted in some becoming unsettled.

Ofsted noted the nursery needs to improve in these areas to regain its outstanding rating.

Safeguarding arrangements were also said to be effective.