# Darwen Children's Centre

Darwen Children's Centre is a sessional pre-school at Lord Street, Darwen, BB3 0HD, in Chapels, Blackburn with Darwen. It is registered for 56 children. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in June 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 4.5 from 6 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

Page: https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/darwen-childrens-centre-ey246291  
Last checked 13 November 2026.

## At a glance

- Type: Sessional pre-school
- Address: Lord Street, Darwen, BB3 0HD
- Registered places: 56
- Phone: 01254 585000
- Run by: [Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council](https://toddly.co.uk/groups/blackburn-with-darwen-borough-council)
- Ofsted URN: EY246291

## Ofsted and official records

Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection on 3 June 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

- Quality of education: Good
- Behaviour and attitudes: Good
- Personal development: Good
- Leadership and management: Good

Safeguarding effective.

Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY246291

Official records:

- Ofsted registration: Registered since February 2003 (Reference EY246291). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY246291)
- Inspections on record: 1 inspection (latest 3 June 2025). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY246291)
- Registered places: 56 places (the most children it may care for at once). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY246291)
- Food hygiene rating: 5 (Very good) (inspected 13 February 2026). Source: Food Standards Agency, checked 13 November 2026 (https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/211222)

## Fees

Fees, hours and ages: not published yet.

## Hours and ages

Opening hours and ages: not published yet.

## Getting there

Address: Lord Street, Darwen, BB3 0HD

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=53.700508,-2.465639

- Station: Darwen, 0.2 miles
- 15 bus stops within 400 m
- Park: Shorey Bank, under 0.1 miles
- Playground: Playground, under 0.1 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles
- Playground: Playground, 0.3 miles

NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026.

## Places and next steps

Spaces: not published yet.

In Blackburn with Darwen there are about 3.3 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces. Source: ONS Census 2021.

When to apply: https://toddly.co.uk/when-to-apply-for-nursery

## Ratings

- Google: 4.5 out of 5 from 6 reviews (as of 13 November 2026)

## Nearby schools

Distances are in a straight line.

| School | Phase | Ages | Ofsted | Nursery class | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy | Primary | 3–11 | Quality of education: Requires improvement; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Requires improvement (July 2025) | yes | 0.2 miles |
| Holy Trinity VC School | Primary | 4–11 | Quality of education: Requires improvement; Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Requires improvement (March 2025) |  | 0.4 miles |
| Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary | Primary | 4–11 | Report card (March 2026) |  | 0.5 miles |
| Avondale Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | School remains Good (July 2023) |  | 0.6 miles |
| Turncroft Nursery School | Nursery | 3–4 | Standards maintained (May 2025) | yes | 0.6 miles |
| Crosshill Special School |  | 5–18 | Good (November 2021) |  | 0.7 miles |
| Darwen St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | Report card (May 2026) |  | 0.7 miles |
| St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen | Primary | 4–11 | Standards maintained (January 2025) |  | 0.8 miles |

## Nearby nurseries

| Nursery | Ofsted | Day fee from | Hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Kidzania Childcare Darwen](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/kidzania-childcare-darwen-2692646) | Report card Apr 2026 |  | 07:30–18:00 | 0.3 miles |
| [Rainbow Childcare](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/rainbow-childcare-2511176) | Good |  |  | 0.5 miles |
| [Marshmallows Day Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/marshmallows-day-nursery-ey232878) | Good |  |  | 0.5 miles |
| [Precious Moments Childcare (Darwen) ltd.](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/precious-moments-childcare-darwen-ltd-2732681) | Good |  | 07:00–18:00 | 0.6 miles |
| [PALS-Darwen St Joseph's Primary School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/pals-darwen-st-josephs-primary-school-2868095) |  |  |  | 0.7 miles |
| [Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/ark-les-enfants-nursery-and-forest-school-ey343942) | Good |  | 07:30–17:45 | 0.8 miles |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Darwen Children's Centre's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Darwen Children's Centre Good at its inspection on 3 June 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.

### How many children can Darwen Children's Centre take?

Darwen Children's Centre is registered with Ofsted for up to 56 children at any one time.

### Who runs Darwen Children's Centre?

Darwen Children's Centre is run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, which runs 6 nurseries.

### What is the nearest station to Darwen Children's Centre?

Darwen is the nearest station we know of, 0.2 miles away in a straight line.

### How do I contact Darwen Children's Centre?

You can call 01254 585000.

## Sources

- Registration and inspections: Ofsted, as of 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY246291)
- Rating and review themes: Google, as of 13 November 2026 (https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Darwen+Children%27s+Centre&query_place_id=ChIJHebELj2ge0gRwaN3jvPVHPI)
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools, as of 4 November 2026 (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.