Woodfield Nursery School, Nelson
Woodfield Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Nelson. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodfield Nursery School in detail
Woodfield Nursery School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a maintained Nursery School and cater for children aged 2 to 4 years old. We accept the 15 hours and 30 hours childcare funding alongside providing paid places."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 57.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (82%), Mixed (9%) and White British (7%).
In 2026, 8 pupils (6.7%) received SEN support and 1 (0.8%) 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 Brierfield Rail Station, about 460 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Regent Street (opposite), 340 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodfield Nursery School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 173 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: 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Woodfield Nursery School creates a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive through strong relationships and high expectations. The school's vision of 'helping every star to shine' is evident in how staff support each child's development, with particular strength in communication and language skills. Children leave nursery well-prepared for primary school and develop confidence, curiosity, and independence through play and exploration.
Key Strengths
- Children develop strong relationships with staff and behave well with kindness and respect
- Broad, ambitious curriculum with careful focus on communication, language, and literacy development
- Quick identification of children with SEND needs and effective support to help them access the full curriculum
- Spacious outdoor areas including woodland where children develop resilience and imagination
- Staff receive high-quality training and governors provide effective support and challenge
Areas for Improvement
- Important knowledge is not always revisited or reinforced, limiting some children's ability to deepen their learning
- Gaps in children's knowledge and vocabulary are not consistently identified and addressed across all areas of learning
- Staff need clearer understanding of what children know and don't know in some curriculum areas to better support progression
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor activities in school woodland area, story times with diverse books reflecting the community
Woodfield Nursery School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. Children are happy, confident, and benefit from strong relationships with staff who have high expectations for all learners.
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
Social & online
Keep up with Woodfield Nursery School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodfield Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodfield 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
- 39
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 31 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 - Nelson
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nelson
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)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
7.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
119
Total Pupils
52
Boys
67
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,274
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Woodfield Nursery School
What is Woodfield Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Woodfield Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Woodfield Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodfield Nursery School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Woodfield Nursery School?
Woodfield Nursery School has around 119 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Woodfield Nursery School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodfield 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 Woodfield Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 31 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Woodfield Nursery School?
Woodfield Nursery School is at Sefton Street, Brierfield, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 5BE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)