Bumpers Nursery at Canberra, Melksham

Bumpers Nursery at Canberra, Melksham
Unique reference number (URN): 2824366
Address: Canberra, 56b Spa Road, Melksham, SN12 7NY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 18/12/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Baloo's (Trowbridge) Ltd
Inspection report: 26 August 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children typically make effective, steady progress in all areas of their development. Children
with some barriers to their learning and those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities generally reach their potential. All children are suitably prepared for their move on
to school. Children develop their speech and language skills. Babies babble and learn new
words, toddlers start to express themselves and older children increasingly join in
conversations with staff and each other.
Children develop their physical skills and confidence well using the equipment in the garden.
They climb with growing agility and balance well. They develop their coordination using ride-
on toys, hoops and balls. Children develop particularly positive attitudes towards doing
things for themselves. They build their independence skills from a young age, learning skills
gradually. Babies enjoy finding their water bottles, toddlers serve themselves meals and
older children conscientiously clear away their things after their lunch. They learn to tidy
away toys and show their growing sense of responsibility.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Over time, staff build effective, supportive and caring relationships with children. They get to
know children well and build their confidence, helping them enjoy their time at the nursery.
Staff support children's behaviour well. They offer clear support and explanations to help
babies and children understand the boundaries that are in place for their safety. Staff help
children to build their social skills and friendships with each other. They teach them how to
interact and play together, helping them share and take turns.
Generally, staff support children's attitudes to learning well. Staff think through some of their
routines very well, such as children's mealtimes. For example, they offer a café-style lunch,
with smaller groups of children eating together while others play. Staff are then able to
provide focused support for children to develop their independence skills, helping them
serve their own food and clear away their things. This also enables staff working with
toddlers to provide a calm atmosphere by settling children to sleep in smaller groups.
Leaders and staff support children's attendance. They monitor any absences and check on
children and families, ensuring their safety. They work with parents and carers to adjust
support to children's changing circumstances, for example, when children need specialist
arrangements and equipment in order to attend the nursery.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff are kind and attentive to children's care needs. They adapt their routines to babies' and
toddlers' needs, adjusting nap and mealtimes to make sure children are comfortable and
happy at nursery. Staff are mindful of babies' and children's safety as they eat and sleep,
communicating clearly with one another to ensure all staff support children closely. They
respect children's privacy and choices, valuing them as individuals. Staff focus on children's

emotional wellbeing, helping them manage their emotions and frustrations with clear
explanations and lots of reassurance.
Staff support children's healthy lifestyles and their physical wellbeing. They take babies out
for walks in the community and provide children with plenty of time outside in the fresh air.
Children freely flow into their outside areas and also time in the main garden regularly. Staff
teach children safe practices and help them learn to manage risks themselves. For example,
staff remind children of how many people should use equipment at any one time. They
provide nutritious meals, healthy fruit and water to drink. Staff teach children to care for their
bodies. They patiently help children learn to use the toilet and teach them how to care for
their teeth.
Overall, all staff get to know children and build bonds with them. However, leaders do not
reflect on the support for new children fully. Not all children receive consistent support from
their key person when they first start to build relationships and confidence quickly and
effectively.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have clear aims for what they want children to learn. They have suitable processes
for key staff and the wider staff team in each room to assess children's development and
outline what they need to learn next. They think through their curriculum design, making
sure that it is adapted to the different ages and needs of children. For example, leaders and
staff use further assessments and implement targets for children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities.
Overall, teaching is effective and many staff show skilled interactions. They pick up on
children's ideas and interests to encourage their skills. For example, staff develop toddlers'
speech, asking them questions about photos of their families, encouraging them to notice
details and begin to engage in conversation. Staff take time to look at books with babies and
introduce new words. Staff patiently read stories to toddlers and pre-school children. They
explain new concepts and words and give children time to share their knowledge and join in
with key phrases. They provide opportunities for children to use their memories and practise
their speech.
Staff plan useful activities to help children progress. They encourage babies to develop their
coordination, grabbing and exploring coloured oats. Toddlers and older children develop
their hand strength as they form, cut and shape play dough. Staff teach children
mathematical concepts, counting items and using contextual language for quantity and size,
as children play with water or sand, for example. However, at times staff do not manage
group times effectively or adapt their support fully to maintain and extend children's listening,
attention and engagement.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff get to know children's individual needs. They closely assess children's
development and whether they are working at expected levels. Children's key persons
notice aspects of learning that children still need to master or areas where they are
struggling. Leaders and key staff liaise with parents and carers to help address any

persistent gaps and secure any additional support children may need. They work with
outside professionals, taking on board advice and implementing individual plans for children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff undertake
additional observations and assessments for children with barriers to their learning to outline
further steps and help all children reach their potential.
Leaders liaise with staff and ensure any additional funding is used effectively. They focus
this on any gaps in children's experiences or development, such as to provide climbing
equipment to develop the physical skills of children with SEND. Staff value children's
differences, such as their home languages and cultures, linking to these within activities.
They introduce additional arrangements to support children's changing needs and family
circumstances, helping reduce any barriers to children's attendance and involvement. Staff
typically ensure children are all included in activities and generally adapt their support to
engage children and develop their skills.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders genuinely care about children and want to provide the best service for them and
their families. Leaders show commitment to supporting their team. They ensure that staff
undertake mandatory training and renew this regularly. They assist staff in gaining further
qualifications to help build their skills and develop their roles. Staff are very positive about
the difference this makes to them. They say leaders support their wellbeing, build their
confidence in their own abilities and do all they can to ensure staff are happy in their work.
Partnerships with parents and carers are effective. Leaders and staff liaise closely with
parents to build up a beneficial flow of information about children's needs. Parents are
grateful for this and say it reassures them that their children are well supported at the
nursery. Staff help parents understand how to continue children's learning at home. Leaders
and staff link with other professionals involved in children's care to help them and their
families get the support they need. They also link with teachers and other school specialists
to ensure children are suitably prepared for their move on to school.
Leaders evaluate practice and outline areas for improvement across the whole nursery.
They undertake observations of staff's teaching and hold regular meetings with the whole
team to support improvement. however, they do not always encourage staff to readily reflect
on their own teaching and practice. This affects staff's ability to adjust their teaching in the
moment and improve their practice to enhance children's engagement and learning. Leaders
appreciate the importance of self-reflection and they are eager to develop this further.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Babies and children enjoy their time at this nursery and show a sense of belonging. Over
time children build relationships with staff that support their confidence and wellbeing and
form a foundation for children's learning and development. Children's individuality is
appreciated and staff focus on their interests and different needs suitably, forming plans to
ensure children achieve here. Children's home lives and experiences outside of the nursery
are valued. Children enjoy looking at photos of their families. They share and discuss these
with staff, developing their memory, speech and understanding of others as they listen to
their friend do the same. Children continually develop their communication skills. They build
their language, learn new words, gain confidence to express themselves and engage in
back-and-forth interactions with each other and staff. This includes children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities.
Children make effective progress and gain skills that will prepare them for the next stage of
their education and their move on to school. Children relish joining staff and helping with
tasks. Babies learn to wash their hands and toddle over to their little table, listening well to
staff as they call them over for snack. Toddlers and older children pour their own drinks and
serve their food. They tidy away toys before lunch and clear away their things after their
meal, conscientiously scraping their food into the bin. This helps children flourish, gain
confidence in their own abilities and develop their sense of responsibility effectively. Children
behave well and learn to respect staff and their peers, building friendships and
understanding how to interact with others appropriately. Toddlers learn to share toys and
older children play cooperatively. Children learn to understand safety boundaries and take
turns on equipment and during games. Children typically develop positive attitudes to
learning and engage well with activities overall. They are curious and enjoy new
experiences, benefiting from the support and reassurance of staff.
Next steps
Leaders should help staff adapt their support during group activities more readily,
maintaining children's listening, attention and engagement consistently.
Leaders should develop processes for helping new children settle into the provision,
building children's bonds with their key person more consistently and quickly right from
the beginning.
Leaders should embed procedures for evaluation further, helping staff reflect on and
improve their practice and extend the effectiveness of teaching and support for children
further.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers during the inspection
and considered parents' written views.

Inspector:
Rachel Parker
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2824366
Address:
Canberra
56b Spa Road
Melksham
SN12 7NY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 18/12/2024
Registered person: Baloo's (Trowbridge) Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30
Local authority: Wiltshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 26 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
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.

Total number of places
53
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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