Broughton Manor Nursery

Broughton Manor Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2865958 Address: Broughton Manor Preparatory School, Broughton, Milton Keynes, MK10 9AA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/10/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Broughton Manor Prep School Limited

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Urgent improvement

Children are not well prepared for their next steps in learning. They do not make sufficient progress from their starting points on entry to the setting. They do not develop the appropriate knowledge and skills for their age due to poor-quality interactions and the low expectations staff have about what children can achieve.

p.2

Achievement Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that staff have an understanding of children's progress relevant to their age and stage of development and that teaching is effective in practice. Any barriers to learning or emerging concerns about children's development are not readily recognised by leaders and staff. Children are not supported to develop into confident talkers. For example, children make attempts at speech with dummies in their mouths, and staff do not recognise the impact this has on their communication and language. During these conversations, children's responses cannot be heard, and they cannot practise sounds and word formation. Children are restricted in developing into confident talkers because staff do not focus on promoting their speech well enough.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders provide staff with training to encourage their understanding of how to support children throughout the daily routine. However, although staff generally follow children's home routines, especially when they are very young, they do not follow established safe sleeping procedures during these routines. As a result, they do not promote children's welfare well, particularly during sleep times.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Children behave well, but they lack the motivation and stimulation they need to develop positive attitudes to learning. Activities are sometimes mundane and coupled with weak teaching. Children do not show excitement, interest or engagement in activities. Children form close attachments with staff, but sometimes this becomes over-reliance. As the delivery of the curriculum is weak, children are happy to simply sit on adults' laps or be carried around rather than taking part in learning. While this meets their basic emotional need for comfort, it does not promote their independence and confidence or expand on their social relationships and connections with others.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders encourage children's attendance and understand reasons for absence, such as ill- health or family holidays. Visual timetables help children to understand what will happen next to support them during changes in the routine.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Despite recent training, leaders have not ensured that staff consistently follow safe sleeping procedures. Some staff place young children to sleep on soft cushions rather than firm mattresses. This does not comply with national guidance or the nursery's own policy and places children's health and safety at risk. Leaders do not ensure that staff consistently follow procedures for managing children's allergies so that children are not given known food allergens. This weakness in practice compromises children's health and welfare. Leaders have acknowledged these weaknesses in practice, which have occurred since the last inspection, and have identified further training for staff in an attempt to minimise this risk going forward.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff do not manage the use of dummies effectively. Children use dummies throughout the day, and staff do not discourage their continual use, even when children do not need them for comfort. Some children wear dummies on clips attached to their clothing. When children play, their dummies drag on the floor and are then returned to their mouths. This is unhygienic and poses a risk to children's health.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff are warm and caring. However, some have a weak understanding of children's development. As a result, they do not always recognise or respond appropriately to children's individual needs. Although children form close attachments with staff, some become overly dependent on them. This limits children's independence and their ability to explore, which restricts their progress in personal, social and emotional development.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have started to review and develop plans for embedding the curriculum. This includes supporting staff's understanding through training. However, this has not been effective. Leaders do not ensure that the training staff receive translates into their practice. At times, teaching is weak. The activities are uninspiring, and not all staff can explain what they want children to learn. Sometimes, the focus for children's next steps in learning is not fully relevant to their needs.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that staff have a sufficient understanding of child development. As a result, their assessments of children's learning lack ambition and reflect the expectations for much younger children. Staff do not have high enough ambition for what children can achieve, and this limits their progress. Furthermore, this weakness affects staff's capacity to recognise when there are gaps in children's learning. Assessments are shared with parents, meaning that they are given inaccurate and unhelpful information of what their children know and can do. This hampers their ability to support children's learning at home.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Staff do not recognise factors that can impact on children's development. For example, many children across the nursery use dummies throughout the day, even when content and settled. When staff talk to children, they do not encourage them to remove their dummy. As a result, children speak out of the corner of their mouth or in a muffled manner. This inhibits children's ability to practise sounds and words when their speech is first emerging. Consequently, children are not supported well enough to develop their communication and language.

p.3

Inclusion Urgent improvement

Children with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make sufficient progress over time. This is because the curriculum is not sufficiently known by staff. Teaching lacks ambition and does not sufficiently take account of children's individual needs and any barriers to their learning.

p.3

Inclusion Urgent improvement

Assessments of children's learning are inconsistent and, in some cases, significantly inaccurate. They do not reliably reflect children's current abilities or potential. As a result, staff do not consistently plan or adapt learning experiences that build effectively on what children know, understand and can do. Consequently, children do not make the sustained progress of which they are capable. Furthermore, the weak assessments limit staff's ability to identify concerns promptly or take appropriate and timely action when additional support is needed.

p.4

Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders implement some appropriate strategies to aid communication, which is particularly beneficial for children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff use picture boards and visual timetables to help children understand routines and transitions throughout the day. This helps them to anticipate what will happen next and provides a level of reassurance.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Since the last inspection, a new leadership team is in place. Leaders acknowledge that there are significant weaknesses in practice across the nursery. While they have identified areas for development and have plans for improvement, these are at an early stage. It is too soon to see any positive impact on the quality of provision or outcomes for children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have arranged training for staff to improve their knowledge and practice. However, they have not monitored the impact of this training closely enough to ensure that staff apply what they have learned. As a result, staff demonstrate a poor understanding of the curriculum and how to implement it effectively. Staff assessments of children's development are inaccurate and lack ambition. Leaders do not routinely review these assessments to check their accuracy before they are shared with parents. Consequently, parents receive an unreliable and misleading account of their child's learning, development and progress. Leaders' monitoring of staff practice is ineffective. They do not have a clear or accurate overview of the day-to-day experiences of children in the rooms. Aspects of poor practice, including unsafe sleep arrangements, ineffective mealtime routines and the inappropriate management of children's use of dummies, have become routine. These weaknesses

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

compromise children's health, safety and overall experiences in the nursery.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

As a result of previous insufficient monitoring and limited oversight of staff practice, children do not receive a suitable standard of care and education. Therefore, at this time, some leaders do not demonstrate that they have the capacity needed to bring about the necessary improvements to ensure children receive a consistently safe, high-quality and effective early years experience.

p.4

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not consistently benefit from teaching that helps them to make suitable progress in their learning. This is because the curriculum is not well understood or delivered. Although children share warm and caring relationships with staff, they do not always receive the stimulation and encouragement they need to become engaged in activities. Younger children's speech and language development is not consistently supported, as staff do not always identify barriers to communication, such as children using dummies for long periods. This inhibits children's speech.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not make the progress they are capable of because staff's assessments of learning lack ambition. As a result, children's next steps are not precise or effective enough to promote further development. Some children do not consistently engage in activities and can become overly reliant on staff, which limits their confidence, enjoyment and ability to play independently and alongside others. This is particularly evident for children who speak English as an additional language. As opportunities for learning are sometimes uninspiring, children do not have the desire to explore and develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Some appropriate strategies are in place for children who need additional support. These include visual timetables and talking boxes, which particularly support children who speak English as an additional language. Children take comfort in pressing the button on their talking box to hear their parent's voice. Overall, children are generally settled.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Daily routines are not consistently managed to promote children's safety and wellbeing. For example, some children are laid to sleep on cushions, which does not support safe sleep practices.

p.5

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.5

Action Completion Date

implement and monitor safe sleeping arrangements for children to ensure their welfare and wellbeing are promoted at all times 12/05/2026

p.5

Action Completion Date

improve staff understanding of the curriculum so they have high ambition and are clear about what children need to know 12/05/2026

p.5

Address:

Broughton Manor Preparatory School Broughton

p.6

Action Completion Date

address weaknesses in the teaching of communication and language, so that children receive the support they need to become confident communicators 12/05/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

improve staff knowledge so that they understand expectations for children's development and are competent to assess their progress and plan relevant next steps to support them 12/05/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

share valid, relevant and reliable information with parents to enable them to support children's learning at home 12/05/2026

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the manager, headteacher, early years and foundation lead, special educational needs coordinator, staff, children and parents during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant change in the leadership team.

p.6

About this inspection

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.6

About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Milton Keynes MK10 9AA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

About this inspection

Registered person: Broughton Manor Prep School Limited

p.7

About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8