Brook House Farm Pre-School Centre

Inspection of Brook House Farm Pre- School Centre Park Lane, Poynton, STOCKPORT, Cheshire SK12 1RQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision is good

The calm, relaxed atmosphere helps to create an environment where all children are settled. Babies snuggle in for cuddles and enjoy the gentle caresses of their caring, sensitive staff. Toddlers contentedly lounge on the carpet as their drive their small transport toys around. Others comfortably sit on staff knees to have their favourite books and stories read to them. Children's strong sense of safety helps them make the most of all the nursery has to offer. They have many opportunities to explore and find things out for themselves. Children are also keen to join in with the many fascinating activities that staff provide. Older children eagerly dig in the sand, persistently searching for items of hidden treasure, before counting out how many they have found.

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The provision is good

Every child matters to the staff at the nursery, and there is a real sense that leaders want the best for them all. Children's personalities are nurtured. They are valued as unique individuals, so they grow in confidence and are self-assured. Children interact with staff using humour. They are confident to make their needs known and to express their own ideas. Children's creative thinking is positively encouraged. They sing and dance freely, design using a range of media and solve problems with imagination. Children are positively supported to develop the kinds of behaviours and attitudes that prepare them well for their future learning in school.

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need to do better?

n Following the previous inspection, leaders worked with local authority advisers and the staff team to consider the improvements needed. Together, they have established a well-considered curriculum that supports children to progressively learn more and do more. n The curriculum for communication and language has been given increased priority. Staff have worked hard to help children significantly reduce their need for dummies. Specially chosen songs and stories for each age group helps build children's listening, understanding and speaking skills. Babies make animal sounds when singing 'Old McDonald' and they confidently do the actions to 'Miss Polly had a Dolly'. By the time they are in the pre-school room, children eagerly sing songs that introduce them to the sounds that represent letters. n Leaders have supported staff well-being through a significant period of change. Staff retention is high, which provides consistency for children and their families.

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need to do better?

Leaders are beginning to increase training opportunities to help keep staff's knowledge current. However, they do not provide staff with the targeted support needed to help them to continually evaluate and improve the quality of their own teaching. Occasionally, the way staff deliver activities is overly complex, which means children do not learn as easily as possible.

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need to do better?

19 October 2022 n Children's personal development is given high priority. Babies are supported to self-feed from an early stage. Toddlers fill and empty cups, making 'fruit tea' using jugs and chopped fruit in the water play. By the time they are in pre- school, children pour their own drinking water and spread their own butter on toast or crackers. Children's independence is fostered very well. n Staff implement a range of strategies that help children to behave well. Consistent timetables help children know what to expect. Babies know when it is time to sit at the table for lunch and find their own bed when staff set them out for routine sleep time. Older children know the 'golden rules' and are taught how to be kind to their friends. The respect that staff continually model helps all children learn how to interact positively with each other. n Staff teach children about personal hygiene and make very good use of outside

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need to do better?

learning opportunities to provide physical exercise and lots of fresh air, which is necessary for their good health. However, the current sleeping arrangements for babies are not planned as carefully as possible to help all babies get a good quality of sleep. While leaders are currently improving the quality of equipment and reviewing safety arrangements for occasions when babies sleep in prams outside, babies are not consistently supported to rest or sleep without disturbance from others. n Leaders are beginning to implement wider assessment tools, to help identify potential gaps in children's development at an even earlier stage. They make good use of the local authority's 'graduated approach', to help provide children with any extra help they need. Staff make effective use of information from other professionals to them plan specific interventions to promote individual children's progress. However, they do not consistently provide ways for parents

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need to do better?

to continue this targeted learning at home, to help to narrow any identified gaps in learning. n Parents and carers have nothing but positive things to say about the nursery. From the start, staff work very closely with them to find out about their child and how staff can best meet their individual care and learning needs. Children's transitions into and through nursery are smooth. Links with local teachers mean that children's learning continues when they move to school. Parents describe the care, love and education their children receive as 'second to none'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and receive regular training and updates. They understand how to spot and raise a concern about a child. Leaders follow the local authority threshold guidance to decide when to involve external agencies. They keep abreast of potential challenges relevant to their local community. Staff meet children's medical needs and carefully scrutinise the nursery menu to help manage food allergies and feeding requirements. Medicine procedures are safely managed. Parents have high levels of trust in the nursery's ability to keep their children safe.

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should:

n provide practitioners with highly focused and professional development opportunities that build their pedagogical knowledge and continually improves the teaching of the curriculum n review the sleeping arrangements for babies, to help them rest or sleep in accordance with their own needs and as soundly as possible n further enhance opportunities for parents to promote targeted learning at home and help all children to achieve as much as they can.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY480868 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10214602 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Forrest, Gillian Louise

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reference number

Telephone number 01625 859243 Date of previous inspection 2 November 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Brook House Farm Pre-School Centre re-registered in 2014. There are 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications, including 10 at level 3, one at level 2 and one at level 6. The setting opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n A learning walk through the setting was carried out by a lead practitioner and the inspector. n The inspector held discussions with leaders and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning. n A lead practitioner and inspector carried out a joint observation of an adult-led activity. n The inspector spoke to a number of parents and took account of the views of others provided by email.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

19 October 2022 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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