Laugh and Learn Day Nursery
Laugh and Learn Day Nursery is a day nursery in West Yorkshire for children aged 1 to 4, with 77 registered places. Ofsted report card, 3 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.
8 - 10 Thomas Street, Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, WF16 0NW
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 1 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 77 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 29 June 2012 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 3 July 2026
Who runs it
Laugh and Learn Day Nursery is run by Laugh and Learn Day Nursery Partnership (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 3 July 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children form close bonds with their familiar key staff. Staff are tuned in and sensitive to the needs of individual children. Babies begin to develop conversational skills as they spend a long time in verbal vocalisations back and forth with the staff who provide calm and sensitive responses. Staff respond swiftly to baby's nonverbal communication. This helps babies to feel secure. Toddlers receive emotional support when they need it and older children confidently approach staff to ask for help or make a request. It is clear that there are trusting relationships in place.
Children stack crates and build tall towers with the help of staff. They line-up crates in a row and cooperate with each other as they build. They begin to role play being on a bus and one child acts as the driver. Staff support this play and help children to work out roles. These experiences help children to build social skills.
Children enjoy exploring their physical skills. They spend time outdoors, pushing themselves along on bikes and developing control over their bodies as they negotiate the space. Babies enjoy listening to stories and learning about forces as they play ball games. They play happily and confidently. Babies explore knocking down towers and they laugh out loud as they observe the blocks fall down. Staff encourage them to start again and practise their skills.
Leaders have recently been developing the curriculum for building children's independence. It is evident that this is working well. Children have opportunities to serve their own food at mealtimes and babies access their drinks independently. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children, are generally well prepared for the next steps in their learning.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Expected standard
The staff team quickly identify if they are worried about a child. They discuss concerns with parents and if speech is a concern, staff complete an audit to see if they meet the threshold for referral to external agencies. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the setting by simplifying the language they use. They repeat words often and break down instructions into small steps to support children's understanding. Staff regularly check children's skills so that they have an accurate picture of what children can do and what they need to do next.
Staff create individual education plans for children if they need additional support. Leaders ensure there is a consistent cycle of planning, carrying-out intervention work and reviewing this to make sure it is having an impact on learning. Parents are fully involved with the process. Staff follow guidance from external professionals and use any suggestions made, such as flashcards, to promote children's understanding of words and their meaning. Leaders provide staff with training linked to special educational needs and/or disabilities so that they can continually develop their skills.
Leaders use additional funding for disadvantaged children to purchase books and games. This supports disadvantaged children to build their language and emotional-control skills. Staff form close relationships with carers of children that are known to social care and plan personalised learning experiences for them to help them feel safe.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Staff plan activities based on children's interests and they are clear about what they want children to learn. Staff speak to children on a range of topics. However, occasional variations in teaching mean that children do not consistently expand their vocabulary. For example, when children examine minibeasts, they do not always introduce words that stretch children's vocabulary, to extend on what they already know.
Staff frequently help children to build mathematical skills and identify areas in which children need further support. For example, they correct toddlers if they count objects incorrectly, encouraging them to try again. Staff use simple mathematical language to help children gain a sense of numbers, quantity and counting. Staff regularly check children's progress and provide information for parents about what children need to learn next.
Staff frequently provide children with opportunities to develop their physical skills in a range of different ways. For example, they provide large construction equipment for children to lift and carry, and climbing equipment to build muscle strength and stability. Staff support children to develop finger and thumb control ready for writing, for instance by providing tools, such as tweezers, for children to explore.
Achievement: Expected standard
Babies join in with the rhythm of songs, making attempts to say key words. Older children speak clearly and with confidence, asking for help when they need it. Children demonstrate that they are familiar with stories. They recall repeated phrases and name some of the characters in books. Older children show competent mathematical skills. They accurately count larger groups of up to 20 objects arranged randomly.
Many older children have competent pencil control and can create marks and movements with purpose. They manipulate small objects with dexterity and control. Children throughout the nursery show that they are developing towards an effective pencil grip, and some children make attempts at writing their name.
Children generally progress well from their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those who are known to social care. They are ready for the next stage in their learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Children generally behave well and staff are effective in supporting children to share toys and resources appropriately for their age. Staff support babies to take turns as they play in the home corner, putting food in and out of the play oven. When there are minor disagreements between children, staff swiftly intervene. Children make polite requests and staff praise children and use rewards, such as stickers, to support children to do the right thing. Children are generally kind to others.
Staff complete behaviour training and leaders have created 'golden rules' for the setting, which mostly appear to be well embedded. These include using 'kind hands', taking turns and respecting others. Children tidy up with the support of staff and learn how to look after equipment.
Children generally follow instructions and know what is happening next. They keenly take part in activities. However, some of the daily routines in place take a long time to complete and this takes away time for learning. Staff show respect for children and this is reciprocated by the children towards staff. Leaders monitor attendance closely and have procedures in place that parents should follow if their child cannot attend for any reason.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
Babies demonstrate positive attachments with staff and seek out their attention by making vocal noises. Staff respond with warm and caring gestures and words. Babies sleep in cots in safe-sleeping positions and under the supervision of members of staff. Staff meet the individual needs of babies well. For example, one baby is rocked to sleep by a member of staff before being placed in a cot. Leaders carefully consider and plan transitions into the setting for children who are known to social care, which supports their emotional wellbeing.
At mealtimes, babies make good attempts to successfully feed themselves using cutlery. Leaders have created more opportunities for children to self-serve food so that they can make their own choices about healthy foods. Leaders have been trained in allergy awareness and ensure that all food prepared meets the needs of the children attending. Older children attempt to pour their own drinks. Staff encourage children to recognise when they are thirsty and fetch their own drink. This helps children to learn to care for their personal needs and contributes to children's wellbeing.
Children use tools safely, and older children explain that it is important to wash hands to keep germs away. Staff support children to manage their emotions by offering choices and talking through their feelings.
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Leaders frequently evaluate the service they provide and consider ways to continually improve. Leaders encourage staff to develop and learn and they invest in their staff team. They encourage staff to gain further qualifications and learn more about how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This supports the professional development of staff and helps to build high-quality teaching that impacts on children's abilities. Leaders use the skills and knowledge of more experienced staff to support staff that are newer to roles. They regularly monitor staff skills and provide feedback that staff find useful. Staff say they feel valued and part of the team. They are happy in the setting and can approach leaders if they need help or additional time to complete their workload.
Staff get to know families very well, forming trusting relationships. Parents say that staff are always helpful. Leaders share information with parents about activities taking place in the setting and provide resources that can be used at home. Parents appreciate special events, such as graduation celebrations.
Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to transition on to school smoothly. They join parents during school visits to enable effective information sharing and provide emotional support for parents and the child.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should strengthen consistency in staff practice and review the curriculum for vocabulary and communication in order to expand children's language skills.
- Leaders should review the daily routines in place and consider how to maximise opportunities for learning.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 3 July 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.
The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.
Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.
Source: Ofsted reports
Funded childcare hours in England
All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.
Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.
The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.
Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)
Other nurseries nearby
- Northfields Heckmondwike - Day nursery, Heckmondwike WF16 0LR, ages 0 to 4, 30 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 6 August 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Counting House Nursery - Day nursery, Heckmondwike WF16 0JY, ages 0 to 4, 41 places, 0.1 milesOfsted, 2 May 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Goose Hill Private Day Nursery - Day nursery, Heckmondwike WF16 9EE, ages 0 to 11, 85 places, 0.3 milesOfsted report card, 27 May 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Norristhorpe Playgroup - Pre-school, Liversedge WF15 7PG, ages 2 to 4, 80 places, 0.5 milesOfsted, 8 November 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Hamond House Day Nursery - Day nursery, Heckmondwike WF16 9ES, ages 1 to 7, 32 places, 0.5 milesOfsted, 8 September 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Heckmondwike Grammar School - Secondary, 0.3 miles
- Brian Jackson College - Senior, 0.3 miles
- Holy Spirit Catholic Primary Academy - Primary, 0.3 miles
- Heckmondwike Primary Academy - Primary, 0.4 miles
- Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School - Primary, 0.6 miles