Bramble House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children meet familiar staff members as they arrive to enter the nursery in the morning. They explore a wide array of activities throughout their day and play calmly alongside their friends.

Children enjoy the interactions they have with staff. Babies enjoy carefully dipping a wand in liquid, then lifting it to blow bubbles. Toddlers learn to make play dough and explore sticks of spaghetti in the role-play area. Older children enjoy mixing pasta, flowers and leaves in the outdoor area. They confidently come over to speak about the imaginative games they are playing. Children are happy and feel safe with the familiar adults around them.

Parents describe the setting as 'feeling like home'. Staff and children wear cosy slippers in the nursery which adds to the relaxed feeling. Staff nurture children's emotional needs well. They praise their successes and provide warmth and cuddles when children need them.

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

• Staff and managers work hard to ensure children enjoy their time at the nursery. They encourage children to have freedom while they explore within their environment. However, at times, staff try to cover too many aspects of learning during adult-led activities. This means staff do not always stretch children's developmental needs as much as they could, and children sometimes lose focus.
• Staff promote children's physical development well and understand the importance of this. Older children learn to dress and undress from all-in-one suits and wellington boots, ready to go outside. They actively engage in rugby-coaching sessions and eagerly wait, then take turns, moving along a course. Younger babies explore gross motor movements, as they climb in and out of a ball pool.
• Children behave well. Staff teach children about appropriate choices in a positive and supportive manner. For example, staff remind children not to walk backwards down a corridor, as they will not see where they are going and might bump their head. This supports children in understanding the risks and learning about why it is important to keep themselves safe.
• Children learn about independence as they get ready for lunch or snacktime. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to remind children of good daily hygiene practices. For example, they do not explain to older children about the importance of washing their hands after snacktime and before they go off to play.
• The manager works quickly to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need. She actively involves outside agencies and parents in referrals for further funding.
• The key-person system works effectively to support children's emotional needs, particularly those with SEND. Some staff move up through the rooms with children as they get older. As a result, children build secure relationships with key staff.
• The manager is very reflective of her practice. Where the inspector shared feedback during the inspection, the manager acted on this promptly. This demonstrates her clear determination and drive to get things right for the children in her care. The manager supports staff equally well to act on changes. The staff team is strong and provides a positive warmth for the children across the nursery.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and of the relationships with the manager and staff. They use online applications to find out about their child's day and talk to their child's key person regularly at collection times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop curriculum planning, so that adult-led activities focus clearly on developing children's individual next steps in learning
• strengthen children's knowledge of how to manage and learn about good hygiene.