Turncroft Nursery School
Highfield Road, Darwen, BB3 2DNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Turncroft Nursery School is a nursery school in Darwen for ages 3 to 4. It is one of the 88 schools in Blackburn with Darwen. Its latest Ofsted rating is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2014.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 November 2014, report published 11 December 2014
- Overall effectiveness
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years provision
- Outstanding
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 20 May 2025
Children are happy at this nurturing and vibrant nursery school. They arrive each day, ready to enjoy rich learning opportunities that inspire their awe and wonder. Staff care for children greatly, which helps children to feel safe and secure. The school has high expectations for children's achievement. Children rise to these eagerly. They receive recognition when they do, such as with 'star of the week' awards. Children have a thirst for knowledge and learn to become independent learners over time. For example, they contribute enthusiastically to discussions about minibeasts and excitedly go outdoors to 'march like ants' and 'slither like slugs'. Children behave well. They learn to share and to take turns with their friends. Children are confident and curious to speak with visitors. They learn about what makes them unique, including differences in peoples' cultures and traditions. Children benefit from meaningful experiences that enrich their understanding of the world around them. They are fascinated to watch as ladybirds and caterpillars grow. Children enjoy baking and spending time with their family members at special events held at the school and the local church. They develop their physical skills and well-being during yoga activities and weekly sports sessions delivered by specialist coaches.
What the school should improve
- In some areas of learning, the school has not determined the precise content that children should learn. This means that staff are not fully clear on how to build on children's prior knowledge over time. The school should refine curriculum thinking in these areas so that staff support children to know and remember more in these areas of learning.
- There is variability in how well some staff support and extend children's communication, language and thinking skills. As a result, some children do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff support the development of children's knowledge and skills consistently well.
Pupil numbers and mix
58 pupils on roll
Schools near Turncroft Nursery School
| School | Distance | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|
| Longshaw Nursery School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Brunel Nursery School | 4 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard |
| Ashworth Nursery School | 4 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard |
| Fairfield Nursery School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Lee Royd Nursery School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good |
School details
- School type
- Local authority nursery school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 4
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Gayle Berry
- Phone
- 01254701534
- Address
- Highfield Road, Darwen, BB3 2DN
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- URN
- 119099
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.