Children ‘delight’ in exploring environment at Barnoldswick nursery

Brook Farm Children's Nursery Brook Farm in Barnoldswick has 86 students aged up to four on the roll.

A recent inspection by education watchdog Ofsted saw the nursery retain its "good" rating. 

This was the first routine inspection the provider had received since the Covid began.

The report said: “Children are confident and settled in this welcoming nursery. Staff know the children well and are always on hand to provide cuddles and comfort. Staff help the children learn about different cultures in a meaningful way.

“They design activities based around children's heritage and holiday experiences.

“Children delight in exploring the natural environment, supported by attentive staff. Children recall the important facts, taught to them by staff, about how plants and vegetables grow.”

It added: “Leaders are able to articulate the intended curriculum for the nursery and what they hope children will learn.

“Parents talk positively about their children's experiences at nursery. The talk about the respectful relationships with their child's key person and the useful information they receive to support progress.

“They praise the personalisation of what children learn.

“Parents are clear about the difference the nursery has made to their children, especially the social skills they develop, their improved confidence, their love of the natural world, and their enjoyment of being active outdoors.

“Staff compliment the leadership team for supporting their well-being. They explain that the manageable workload ensures they have sufficient time to support the children in their care, strengthening the quality of care they provide. They explain that leaders are always on hand to support them, both in and out of work.”

There was room for improvement at the nursery though.

The report noted: “Staff ensure that the nursery is a clean and well maintained environment for children. They talk to children about the importance of aspects of personal care, such as washing hands before eating and good oral hygiene.

“The food provided is healthy and nutritious, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. This contributes to children's good health.

“However, staff do not always model good practice themselves. For example, during the inspection, staff were observed to wipe children's noses and move on to another task without washing their own hands. This poses a potential risk of cross-infection to children.”

The report also commended how staff had learned over a past incident regarding safeguarding.

It said: “During the inspection, it was confirmed that a child had previously sustained an injury at the nursery, requiring hospital treatment.

“This was as a result of weaknesses in risk assessment procedures at the time of the incident.

“Leaders have since taken action to deploy staff more effectively and strengthen risk assessments to limit the likelihood of recurrence.

"Leaders, therefore, now ensure that the nursery premises is always a safe and secure environment for children.

“Staff know the action to take should they be worried about a child, and they are alert to indicators of abuse. They are equally confident in the action to take if they are concerned about the conduct of a colleague.”