Brue Farm Day Nursery

Inspection of Brue Farm Day Nursery Brue Farm, Lovington, CASTLE CARY, Somerset BA7 7PP

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children form strong bonds with the friendly, caring staff, who give a very nurturing, reassuring approach. On arrival, children show great delight as they run to staff for a warm, welcoming cuddle. They feel valued and safe in their care. Staff have high expectations of all children and create a well-balanced curriculum for each age group, which supports them to make continual achievements. Children interact happily with their friends and learn to share and take turns. They have fun in their play, such as when jumping in puddles or digging in the garden together. They ask politely, 'Would you like to dig for some worms in the mud with me?'

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The provision is good

Children experience a great variety of motivating activities that enhance their knowledge and skills very well. They develop their creativity and imaginations effectively in their play. For example, they play 'hospitals' and tell staff they are using a 'stethoscope' or a 'blood pressure monitor'. They find some herbs, runner beans and leaves to mix with water and earth and create their special concoctions in the mud kitchen outdoors. Younger children push toy diggers and tractors around and begin to make the 'brrmm, brrmm' noises of the engines. Older children carefully design their 'cardboard box handbags' using different textured shapes of material. They are keen to write their names on their creations and begin to form recognisable letter shapes.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have a strong ethos to promote staff's professional development. Staff say they feel very well supported in their roles. As a team they have raised their awareness of different strategies that support children's behaviour. This has helped them provide a consistent approach that helps children learn how to behave well and understand the expected boundaries. n Children gain very good language skills. Younger children begin to form five- and six-word sentences and use these in context. For example, they look for the cows in an adjoining field and say, 'They are so far away.' Older children tell staff that 'terrified' is another way of saying 'scared'. Children gain a wide vocabulary and learn words such as 'focaccia', 'ciabatta' and 'baguette' when they visit a nearby bakery. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak very highly of staff and say the nursery is led with great skill and dedication. They say their children settle

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need to do better?

easily and have made excellent progress since starting. Parents comment that staff are professional and committed to their role. They are appreciative of the good communication links formed to keep them frequently updated about their children's activities and achievements. n Staff observe children's play and identify what they need to learn next. They work hard to create rich and motivating learning experiences that will help

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need to do better?

29 August 2025 children develop the necessary skills for their future learning. However, at times, noise levels rise, and the organisation of some group activities means children are not purposefully engaged consistently well. For example, children are distracted by what is going on around them and become restless when they are unable to hear or concentrate as well as they do in most other activities. n Children enjoy great opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children gain confidence in the water at their weekly swimming sessions. They like learning different yoga movements and develop control of their bodies. They strengthen their muscles and coordination skills, such as when lifting a heavy watering can to fill a container with water. Younger children gain good balance and become confident walkers. They giggle excitedly as they run around after a friend and then manage to control how they stop. Older children excitedly show

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need to do better?

a visitor how they can make a swing go very high. n Staff provide excellent support for children's understanding of the world and cultural capital through a wide range of enriching experiences. For example, children like going for walks with staff to a local farm, where they see the donkeys, or to a nearby bakery, where they choose the bread for their snacks. They listen with interest to the baker, who tells them how the burger buns are made. They enjoy meeting visitors from an owl sanctuary and learn that owls have three eyelids. Children show great fascination when they find a baby frog in the garden. Staff are quick to provide related resources, such as toy frogs, magnifying glasses and nets for children to explore and build on their curiosity. Children are keen to go with staff to collect the eggs that the nursery chickens have laid. n Staff recognise how to help children learn to regulate their emotions. They

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need to do better?

support them well to make strong friendships with each other and show kindness to others. For example, children help their friends put on their wellington boots to play outdoors. They see that their friends want to use a toy ride-on tractor and help them find one to go on.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

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

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should:

n review and improve the organisation of some group activities and minimise noise levels to support all children's engagement, participation and learning consistently well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY396818 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10398818 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 57 Name of registered person Farthing, Katherine Claudia

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reference number

Telephone number 01963 240 111 Date of previous inspection 11 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Brue Farm Day Nursery registered in 2009. It is a privately owned nursery situated in the village of Lovington, near Castle Cary, Somerset. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5.30pm, all year round, apart from bank holidays, Christmas and up to three training days a year. The nursery receives government funding. The owner, who is also the manager, employs 13 members of staff. Of these, one holds early years professional status, two hold qualifications at level 5 and the majority of other staff hold qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager undertook a learning walk and discussed their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors and had discussions with staff about children's learning and next steps of development. n The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, such as records of suitability for staff and safeguarding records. n The inspector and the manager completed two joint observations of children's activities and discussed the quality of education provided. n The inspector took into account the spoken and written views of parents.

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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

29 August 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.

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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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