Brooklands Young Explorers

Inspection of Brooklands Young Explorers Brooklands Primary School, Palfrey Heights, Brantham, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1RX

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

The provision is good

Leaders and staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that fosters children's current interests. They prioritise children's emotional well-being, where children feel safe and secure at nursery. From this, children settle well, and staff form strong bonds with children to help them feel a real sense of belonging. Children show deep fascination with play dough and make 'wiggly worms'. Staff model how to roll play dough as children talk about what owls like to eat. Children beam with smiles as they show one another the worms they have created. This helps children to develop a kind and caring attitude towards each other.

p.2

The provision is good

Children have ample opportunities to explore their physical skills. They like to use bikes and cars to race one another. Staff help children to practise their balancing skills as they climb stairs and tyres confidently. Children show excitement when they reach the top and take a big jump. This develops their core strength. Children behave well and respond to instructions from staff, who give them praise for their abilities and achievements. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence. Children make good progress throughout their time at nursery.

p.2

need to do better?

n Leaders and staff passionately support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are knowledgeable about children's individual needs. They work closely with their families and external professionals to prioritise and plan targeted support. For example, leaders and staff proactively ensure that children receive early interventions to prevent gaps in their learning. This means that children with SEND make good progress. n Leaders and staff build a curriculum around a book each week to support the intention for children's learning. Staff use the information they know about children to assess their starting points. This helps staff to prepare for children's next stage of development. However, on occasion, staff do not promptly support children with the same learning opportunities to extend their learning. At times, children lose focus and engagement and move away from activities.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff support children's understanding of mathematical concepts when children explore different-sized containers. They help children to use mathematical language when they fill the containers and describe how they can feel 'heavy' and 'light'. This helps children to develop positive attitudes in their learning. n Overall, staff report that they feel well supported. They have routine supervision sessions and have opportunities to access regular training to build on their skills. Leaders actively support staff's well-being through regular meetings and team- bonding activities. However, at times, communication between leaders is not always consistent. As a result, documents and information are not always shared effectively to have readily available.

p.2

need to do better?

5 September 2025 n Leaders and staff teach children the importance of health and hygiene. For example, before mealtimes children learn how to wash their hands. This promotes children to develop self-care skills. Children make choices of what they would like to eat for lunch from freshly cooked meals. Leaders and staff help children to build an awareness of healthy lifestyles to support their overall well- being. n Children learn to talk about their feelings. Staff help manage children's needs sensitively and have a flexible approach. For example, children use 'emotion eggs', and staff skilfully interact with children to encourage them to describe how they feel. Staff role model to children using different facial expressions. This helps to support communication and language and the quality of their interactions. n Parents speak positively about the nursery. Staff keep them well informed about their child's day and the progress they make. Parents praise the nursery for their

p.2

need to do better?

settling process to help ensure that children have a positive start to nursery. This helps children to feel safe and secure through an effective key-person approach. From this, parents are confident in the support their children receive from staff.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

p.3

should:

n strengthen staff interactions to provide further opportunities for children and develop their focus and engagement n develop leadership arrangements for sharing information to build staff's confidence.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY368548 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10407474 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Constable Country Childcare Committee

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 07892877743 Date of previous inspection 9 January 2020

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Brooklands Young Explorers registered in 2014 and is in Brantham. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks of the year, from 7.10am to 6pm. It employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 to 6, including two with early years professional status, and two with early years teacher status. The nursery provides funded early education for all eligible children.

p.4

Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this is having on the children's learning. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of group activities. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

5 September 2025 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6