Bright Horizons Colchester Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff value and celebrate every child, carefully identifying changing needs and providing tailored support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to learning. They maintain high expectations, promptly identify needs, and implement appropriate support with guidance from knowledgeable leaders responsible for SEND provision. Effective partnerships with parents contribute significantly to the nursery's inclusive practice. Staff work closely with families to understand what helps children settle and what supports their development effectively. Leaders and staff also give careful consideration to creating an inclusive environment. For example, visual aids are used for all children to support learning and understanding.

Leaders monitor the progress children are making and ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge to assess and plan for children's individual learning and development. Staff receive training on the graduated approach to help them support children's progress. Staff work collaboratively with external professionals to ensure a coordinated approach to meeting children's needs. Children with SEND make positive progress, and staff typically adapt learning experiences to support their development. Overall, the nursery demonstrates a secure commitment to inclusive practice. However, learning is not consistently adapted in the moment to meet the needs of younger children, in particular to provide highly responsive support for their physical development. Leaders use early years pupil funding effectively to support the needs of children who face barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders, who have only been in post since the start of the year, have introduced significant changes that have improved the quality of teaching and interactions across the nursery. Staff have received intensive support and role modelling to strengthen their knowledge and skills. They demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn, and plan effectively to help them make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders have a clear vision for the future of the nursery's curriculum and are committed to improving outcomes for all children. They identify weaknesses in practice and implement focused action plans to drive continued improvement. Staff identify children's needs on entry to the setting and plan engaging activities matched to their learning needs and interests early on. Children make positive progress in all areas of learning.

Staff prioritise communication, creating a language-rich environment where even the youngest children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, songs and repetition. Mathematical concepts are skilfully integrated into everyday activities. Staff value children's individuality and build strong relationships with them and their families to support their emotional development. They use their knowledge of each child to adapt activities, ensuring accessibility for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. However, staff do not consistently identify when children need more support to extend their physical development further. This sometimes impacts children's ability to remain engaged in play and develop their physical skills further.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally progress well through the curriculum and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school. Although partnerships with schools are still developing, leaders are committed to strengthening these relationships to support smooth transitions in the autumn term. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make positive progress in all areas of learning. Those who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively through visual aids, and staff learn key words from their home language, helping children to interact with peers and staff.

Children develop secure communication and language skills. Babies babble and imitate sounds, while older children speak confidently in sentences. Regular opportunities to sing and share books further strengthen their language development. Children show curiosity, ask questions and explore the well-resourced environment with confidence. They also develop strong independence skills, with even the youngest children learning to feed themselves and manage simple tasks independently.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff create a calm, positive environment with clear, age-appropriate boundaries, and children are well behaved and understand expectations. Staff build meaningful relationships and act as positive role models, implementing routines that help children feel safe, secure and aware of what comes next. However, sometimes routines are not always adapted quickly enough. For example, children sit waiting for lunch, but as the lunch takes a while to be prepared, children become disengaged. Staff do not consistently adapt their practice in the moment to engage children in positive interactions, and children sometimes become distracted.

Children generally develop positive attitudes to learning. They are kind and considerate, and learn to share and take turns. Staff promote positive relationships, for example by encouraging children to show others how to spray the snails' shells with water. This turns moments of frustration into learning opportunities, helping children feel proud to teach their peers, while supporting cooperation and turn-taking. Leaders recognise that barriers can affect children's attitudes to learning and work closely with families to promote regular attendance and support children's engagement.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff are kind and nurturing, creating a calm and nurturing environment where children form secure attachments and settle quickly. They build strong relationships with children and families, enabling personalised support for care practices such as sleeping, weaning and feeding. This responsive approach helps children feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff celebrate children's achievements, promoting confidence and self-esteem from the start. They carefully consider barriers to emotional wellbeing and adapt practice to meet individual needs. For example, mealtimes are adjusted so all children can enjoy eating and socialising with their peers.

Staff support children effectively to be kind to their peers and understand and regulate their own emotions. They encourage children to make healthy choices at mealtimes and for exercise. Effective hygiene procedures are consistently followed to protect children's safety and welfare. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of how to ensure children's personal safety, including adhering to policies such as lone working and device use.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The leadership team, in post since the start of the year, has made significant improvements that benefit both children and staff. They have taken the time to upskill staff's practice to enable them to provide children with effective teaching and learning opportunities. Leaders are passionate about providing high-quality care and education and have quickly built strong relationships with children, families and staff.

Staff feel valued and supported, and their wellbeing is prioritised. Leaders maintain robust links with external health professionals and provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in addition to offering training and guidance to staff. The needs of children with SEND are considered effectively and individualised support is implemented; consequently, they make steady progress in their learning. Leaders quickly identify staff training needs, deploy staff effectively and create growth opportunities through mentoring and visits from experienced colleagues across other settings within the organisation. As a newly established team, leaders are still embedding development plans to consistently drive the highest outcomes, particularly in the quality of teaching.

Prior to inspection, the provider met their legal responsibility as set out in the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' and notified Ofsted of 2 significant events. On one occasion, a child was left unsupervised in the bathroom for a short period of time. On another occasion, staff failed to follow procedures to keep a child safe and well after administering first aid. Appropriate action was taken to meet requirements, including reviewing first-aid procedures and supervision policies and retraining staff. Leaders continue to monitor practice closely and implement any necessary improvements, demonstrating a proactive approach to maintaining children's welfare.