Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery has improved rapidly since the last inspection. Leaders and staff have worked hard to make effective changes.

They have established a clear ethos that children's well-being and sense of security underpin effective learning and development. Children now benefit from a consistent key-person system and significantly enhanced play spaces. Children enter the nursery happily.

They easily separate from their parent; quickly distracted by finding their own decorated and named pebble as a form of registration. Children explore the bright and imaginative play spaces with curiosity. They demonstrate their sense of sec...urity as they explore freely and approach their now regular carers with affection.

Staff make increasing use of the vast outdoor areas to promote children's well-being and their learning and development in different ways. Children enjoy the freedom to explore the large play equipment, nature within the orchard, and activities within the outdoor classrooms. Children's behaviour is good.

They are becoming increasingly independent. The more able children in the nursery confidently put on their own coats and boots as they move between indoor and outdoor play. Children are developing the skills and attitudes that will support their future learning in school.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The guidance of an effective consultant, careful actions by managers and greater teamwork by all staff are improving the nursery. A review of the whole nursery's operational plan and procedures has helped to establish a clear purpose, intentions and improved practice. Staff support and training are making a positive difference to the quality of children's care, learning and teaching.

Directors have yet to establish a long-term plan for how the quality of education will continue to be monitored to help to maintain provision of high quality.Staff are making effective use of the improved resources to help to deliver good learning and development opportunities for children. Staff in the baby room promote children's physical development well.

They challenge them to crawl and walk up small ramps, developing good balancing skills. By the time children are in the pre-school room, staff make good use of technology to enhance their teaching. For example, children enjoy using the whiteboard to play mathematics games or to watch animated storytelling videos which help the stories read in class come to life.

Leaders have established clear and progressive intentions for children's learning in each room within the nursery. Staff now plan a broad range of activities which help them promote different aspects of children's learning. They enhance their activities and children's continuous play provision regularly, to help children consolidate their learning through play.

For example, staff provide different natural materials for children to construct small houses and blow them down as a way to embed understanding of a well-loved story.Staff provide good opportunities to enhance children's understanding of the wider world. Children have been inspired and talk excitedly about the model of a Buddha brought for them to learn about, explore and promote relaxation.

Staff also teach children about hot and cold climates around the world.Staff help children to develop good social skills and to become confident communicators. They make good use of songs, stories and rhymes to enhance children's vocabulary and speaking skills.

Staff take children to visit residents in the local care home, where they talk to and interact with the older generation.Staff use their new tools and guidance effectively to help them establish appropriate expectations for what each child can achieve. Leaders are moderating assessments carefully.

This means that staff and leaders spot when children are at risk of development delay and act quickly to offer appropriate support. In the past, such assessment and planning were not consistent. Staff work very closely with parents and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

However, they do not understand the best ways to support specific learning needs to help every child make the best progress they are capable of.Parents enthuse about the improvements to the quality of provision for children. They say their children talk enthusiastically about recent experiences in nursery.

Staff provide parents with many ideas and opportunities to enhance children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders have taken prompt and effective action to review and improve safeguarding practice and procedures.

Child protection issues have been given high priority in staff meetings and training. Leaders now have a secure understanding of their responsibilities and of the precise local procedures to follow in the event of any allegations of harm against a staff member. Risk assessment is also improved.

Higher gates have been installed on the nursery driveway to further increase children's safety as staff make the most of the nursery gardens. Staff recruitment is robust and takes more account of their level of qualification and experience, to support good-quality experiences for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: secure arrangements for continued robust monitoring of staff practice to help sustain quality and further improve the provision for children develop a wider knowledge of expert strategies to support children with specific learning needs to help maximise their progress.