Bright Horizons Forest Park Bracknell Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eagerly at nursery and are greeted warmly by enthusiastic staff. They show they are confident in social situations. For example, children say to visitors, 'What's your name?' and ask, 'What are you doing?'. The nurture and support provided by staff to children helps them to develop their independence skills, as they feel safe and secure. Each key person has a good understanding of a child's interests, individual needs and stages of development. This means that staff plan learning opportunities that excite and motivate children, ensuring all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. Staff keep children safe by making them aware of the space around them and their friends. Practitioners engage in respectful conversations and promote children's overall good behaviour and manners. Children develop close friendships and interact well with each other. The daily routines support children to develop their confidence. Staff use visual images to help support children's understanding of what is happening next, where needed.

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

• The dedicated managers have high ambitions for the nursery. Staff undertake training that helps to enhance their skills and knowledge. For example, recent Makaton training has supported staff to help children's communication skills. The managers hold supervision meetings with practitioners and monitor their practice. This enables them to identify areas where to support the team further. Practitioners receive support to gain their qualifications and they have access to a range of training. This helps to ensure that practitioners understand and implement the curriculum to a good standard.
• Staff provide children with a broad curriculum that is focused on the children and what they need to learn. Staff plan stimulating learning activities for children and children show good levels of engagement in their play. For example, young children enjoy playing with dough, which they manipulate and explore with their hands and a range of tools. Older children learn to discuss their feelings as they talk about the puppets they have made.
• Children with SEND are supported very well. The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents and other professionals to agree targeted plans to support each child. Staff provide a highly inclusive environment where they value all children and understand their individual needs.
• Partnerships with parents are a real strength of the nursery. Staff communicate with parents about children's care and learning. Parents explain how they are very thankful for the regular communication, which includes parents' evenings and an online app. They comment that staff make it clear how they can support their children's learning at home.
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Forest Park Bracknell Day Nursery and Preschool 2 12 June 2024
• Children have daily access to outdoor spaces where they can move in different ways to strengthen their muscles and further develop their coordination skills. Children are encouraged to develop their awareness of their own abilities as they climb on the equipment and kick balls independently.
• All staff complete regular safeguarding training which is applicable to their specific role. Managers and staff have a secure knowledge of the indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow in the event of a child protection concern. The managers carry out robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures. Risk assessment is effective. Recent action taken to improve risk assessment and the supervision of children at nappy changing times has been rapid and effective.
• Children benefit from the support of staff who encourage their love of reading. Children enjoy cuddling up to adults to share stories. However, at times, staff ask children questions but do not wait long enough for children to answer. When this occurs, children do not have the time they need to reflect on what they know and have learned, to formulate their responses.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• encourage staff to give children more time to respond when asked questions, to support their thinking and language skills.
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Forest Park Bracknell Day Nursery and Preschool 3 12 June 2024