Whitegate Nursery School, Burnley
Whitegate Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Burnley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
Data last updated 28 Oct 2026
Whitegate Nursery School in detail
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Whitegate Nursery School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (11.7%) 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
The nearest railway station is Rose Grove Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milton Street (opposite), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 172 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Whitegate Nursery provides a warm, caring environment where your child will feel safe and belong. The school excels at supporting children with additional needs and has a strong focus on communication and language through books, stories and songs. Children develop independence and confidence through practical self-care activities and exciting outdoor learning experiences.
Key Strengths
- Excellent support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, with quick identification and well-targeted interventions
- Strong focus on communication and language development with books prominent throughout the nursery
- Children develop independence and self-care skills well, such as serving their own lunch and preparing for outdoor learning
- Warm, nurturing relationships with staff who get to know children well
- Real-life learning experiences including farm visits and local community exploration
Areas for Improvement
- Variability in how staff deliver the intended curriculum - some staff do not introduce new concepts well enough or adapt their approach to help children learn and remember more
- Staff do not consistently address children's low-level behaviour, which continues and reduces the quality of learning
- Need for improved consistency in how all staff support children's behaviour and attitudes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture that puts children's interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Farm visits, local area visits including shops, video conferences with children from other schools, story sacks to take home
Whitegate Nursery School is a caring setting where children arrive happily each morning with a strong sense of belonging and feel safe. The school has high aspirations for children's achievements across a broad and ambitious curriculum.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Keep up with Whitegate Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitegate Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitegate 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
11.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
103
Total Pupils
45
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
34.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,206
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Whitegate Nursery School
What is Whitegate Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Whitegate Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
How many pupils go to Whitegate Nursery School?
Whitegate Nursery School has around 103 pupils on roll.
How many road collisions happen near Whitegate Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Whitegate Nursery School?
Whitegate Nursery School is at Victoria Road, Padiham, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 8TG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)