Bacup Nursery School, Bacup
Bacup Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Bacup. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 6 strong standard. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in June 2022.
- Ofsted report card
- 6 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bacup Nursery School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Bacup Nursery School on 6 areas: 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Strong standard. "Leaders focus sharply on ensuring that children secure the important knowledge and skills they need, particularly in communication, physical and personal development."
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders are tenacious in their approach to ensuring that parents and carers understand the importance of children attending school regularly."
Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders draw upon their knowledge of the school's context, alongside their understanding of how young children learn, to design a rich and progressive curriculum."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Staff hold detailed discussions with parents and carers about their children's development prior to them starting school."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and governors aspire for all children to achieve highly across the curriculum."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders and governors should ensure continued improvement to teaching so that this has a transformational and sustained impact on children's achievement across all areas of learning and aspects of school life".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Bacup Nursery School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a busy but friendly Lancashire maintained school for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years old, with lots going on! As Headteacher here for thirteen years, I simply want our Nursery School to be the best it can be for all the children."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 4 pupils (6.1%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Bacup Nursery School.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Earnshaw Road (by), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bacup Nursery School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Bacup Nursery School
Children love attending this school. They are eager to join in with the enticing activities that are on offer. For example, in the woodland area, children cherish the opportunity to climb trees, fly through the air on a tyre-rope swing and explore different leaves. Children regularly broaden their experiences through activities such as cooking, dance and sports. Through these, children discover and develop their talents and interests early. Children benefit from visitors, including farmers, police officers and firefighters. These opportunities develop children's confidence to engage with others and instil positive attitudes towards the roles these people play in society. Leaders ensure that all children participate in these experiences. Children flourish from the moment they join the school. They quickly forge trusting relationships with staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children build highly positive, supportive friendships. They beam with happiness as they see their friends arrive at school. Children look out for each other and actively welcome others into their play. On rare occasions when children become upset, such as after a fall, other children show genuine care and concern. Children develop a mature understanding of what makes them and others unique. They celebrate this and embrace the many opportunities they have to learn about diversity. Children strive to live up to the school's rules of ‘kind hands, kind words and kind feet'. They know that staff will help them if they struggle with this. Staff are alert to any potential bullying or unkind behaviour between children. They deal with it rapidly. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress quickly from their starting points and achieve very well. They benefit from consistently high-quality teaching and an engaging curriculum. Children who face barriers to their learning get the right support, at the right time, from staff. This helps to quickly close gaps in children's knowledge and skills.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders and governors should ensure continued improvement to teaching so that this has a transformational and sustained impact on children's achievement across all areas of learning and aspects of school life.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 9 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bacup Nursery School excels at helping all children achieve their potential, with staff using skilled, engaging teaching that builds on what children already know. The school is particularly strong at supporting children with additional needs, creating a calm and emotionally safe environment where every child can thrive. Children develop independence, resilience and a genuine love of learning through a rich curriculum and carefully planned experiences.
Key Strengths
- Children make quick progress in learning, particularly in communication, physical development and early mathematics skills
- Staff are highly skilled at teaching and make strong links between what children already know and new learning
- Excellent support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, with tailored approaches that reduce barriers to learning
- Leaders have created a calm, nurturing environment with cosy areas to help children manage their emotions
- Strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development with an extensive personal development programme
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Woodland activities (tree climbing, tyre-rope swing), cooking, dance, sports, sponsored bike rides, visits from farmers, police officers and firefighters
Bacup Nursery School is rated as having a Strong standard across all areas of inspection. The school demonstrates excellent achievement, teaching, and support for all children including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Latest from Bacup Nursery School
From Bacup Nursery School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bacup Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bacup Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bacup Nursery School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Bacup
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bacup
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
6.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
66
Total Pupils
34
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
33.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Bacup Nursery School
What is Bacup Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Bacup Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Bacup Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Bacup Nursery School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Bacup Nursery School?
Bacup Nursery School has around 66 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Bacup Nursery School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Bacup Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Bacup Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bacup Nursery School?
Bacup Nursery School is at Cowtoot Lane, Bacup, Lancashire, OL13 8EF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)