A nursery in Blackburn has received a good rating in its first Ofsted visit, with inspectors praising staff’s connections with children.

Peekaboo Waterside, based at Waterside Health Centre in Infirmary Street, Blackburn, was visited by inspectors in July and it was the first inspection since it opened in October 2022.

In its report, Ofsted said: “Staff have worked hard to get to know the children and develop strong attachments with their key children.

“They know the children well and meet their individual and emotional needs effectively. This has helped leaders create a nursery where children arrive happy and eager to see their friends.

“They show they feel safe and secure as they leave their parents with ease.”

The curriculum on offer is praised as “ambitious”, and uses children’s interests to drive their learning.

“For example, children bring flowers into nursery,” the report notes.

“Staff build on this and encourage children to paint their own pictures of flowers. Children learn about different artists and details in famous paintings of flowers.

“They learn to express themselves through early art and the differences that are in the world around them.”

Inspectors noted children know staff’s expectations of them and as a result behaviour is good and children are “eager and enthusiastic” and “have the time and space to create their own play as they develop and explore new ideas”.

Also praised was staff’s access and eagerness towards professional development and the working culture, support for children with special educational needs or disabilities, children’s emotional education, the teaching of social skills, safeguarding, and preparedness for children’s next steps in education.

To become outstanding, the nursery was told to develop staff practice to accurately identify when to intervene with children’s play so as not to interrupt learning.

There had previously been another nursery – Peek A Boo Childcare – at the site, operated by Peek A Boo Day Care Ltd, but this closed last year, and the current nursery, operated by Peekaboo Childcare Ltd, opened not long after.

The old nursery had been rated good before closure, improving from the inadequate rating it received in its first inspection four months earlier.

All the old company’s sites have now closed, with the new company also running a second nursery in Darwen.