Sunny Brow Playschool

Sunny Brow Playschool
Unique reference number (URN): 2825584
Address: 47 Chapel Lane, Coppull, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 4PG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 23/01/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Bellis, Alexandra Jayne
Inspection report: 19 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.

Strong standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff have embedded clear expectations and a respectful culture. Staff are
excellent role models for the children and teach them the importance of kindness, care and
respect. As a result, children consistently display positive behaviour. Leaders embed highly
impactful routines. For example, children enthusiastically ask for the tidy-up song. They
know how to tidy away the resources and where these resources go. Staff give praise and
encouragement throughout, and as a result children feel proud of their achievements.
Children develop consistently positive attitudes to their learning. They access activities and
resources with confidence. They seek out staff and other children to share their learning. For
example, children write letters to their friends and post these in the local postbox. They
invite each other to splash in puddles, which they do excitedly as they explore the rain
together. Staff actively listen to children and are considerate of their needs and age and
stage of development. For example, staff follow younger children's routines from home and
encourage children to join in group time activities when they feel ready to do so. Children
build warm, trusting relationships with their key person and other staff members. As a result,
children feel secure and settle quickly.
Leaders promote the importance of attendance with families; they are proactive to ensure
children attend the nursery and any barriers are identified and addressed. As a result, there
is a significant improvement to children's attendance, which has a positive impact on their
learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
There is a real sense of belonging in the nursery. Leaders ensure children's welfare and
wellbeing are consistently prioritised, and they are highly responsive to the needs of
individual children and families. Leaders gather information from parents before the children
start, such as sleep times and intolerances, and morning handovers from parents are
explicitly shared with all staff. This means children's needs are met daily, including children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning.
Leaders create a safe, welcoming environment where children excitedly access a range of
activities, both indoors and outdoors, with confidence.
Children settle quickly and develop secure attachments with their key person. Staff have
ample knowledge of children's next steps and interests, using these to plan activities and
provide resources to promote learning. For example, staff use natural materials in the
outdoor area to make a pirate ship linked to the children's interest in sea animals. As a
result, children develop social, imaginative and communication skills, along with developing
their physical skills as they 'walk the plank'.
Children show independence when following the embedded and well-structured routines of
the setting, for example washing their hands and finding their drinking cups. They show
increasing control in their self-care skills, such as putting on their own coat and
independently getting changed after playing outside. Leaders and staff teach children about

Expected standard
healthy choices and diet. For example, children grow their own vegetables, which they then
feed to the nursery pets, and discuss healthy eating at mealtimes and at home. Staff share
with parents healthy lunch box ideas and signpost parents to local cooking classes to
promote healthy eating at home. As a result, children consistently develop long-lasting
healthy habits. Children have regular opportunities to rest, and mealtimes are used to
develop social skills, where all children, including the youngest, sit together and engage in
conversations about their likes and the food they are eating.
Achievement Expected standard
All children make progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. They develop knowledge across
the 7 areas of learning and are developing essential skills for the future. Children make good
progress in their communication and language. They communicate with staff and other
children about the activities they are completing and use their communication skills to ask
for help. For example, as children write letters and use stamps, they skilfully ask for help to
put their letter into an envelope.
Children gain a secure foundation in their physical and personal, social and emotional skills.
Children thrive and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning. Babies and
children enjoy exploring and are naturally inquisitive. For example, young children become
excited and talk about what they can see, hear and smell.
Older children use their physical skills to negotiate the outdoor area. They run confidently
and are encouraged to use their arm muscles to pour water. Staff give younger children
opportunities to use equipment to pull themselves up and develop their walking skills.
Children show increasingly high levels of concentration and a 'can-do' attitude during the
activities provided. They show perseverance and resilience. For example, they fasten
buttons on a doll's clothing and keep on trying when attempting to put on their own socks.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum and what they want to teach
children. They take action to ensure that all children can access the curriculum, which allows
children to learn from different experiences and helps prepare them for the next stage in
their learning. The curriculum is typically taught well across all areas of learning and
development. Staff plan for children's interests and next steps where children develop their
knowledge and skills and build on prior learning. For example, children observe sunflowers,
create their own paintings and use vocabulary, alongside staff, such as petals and roots.
Leaders and staff teach children emerging mathematical concepts. However, this is not
always consistent as not all staff recognise emerging learning opportunities as they interact
with children. Occasionally, some staff are not confident in their teaching, and this means
that teaching is not consistently of a high quality. Staff promote children's love of books.

They provide activities that link to children's favourite stories in the setting and at home, and
children confidently seek out staff and other children to share their favourite books with.
There is a focus on babies' and children's personal, social and emotional development, and
children confidently explore the nursery and make friends. Children sing the 'hello' song
together, ensuring that all children are welcomed into the nursery. This includes the
youngest children, who use some words and sing along with the older children. Children's
physical skills are a priority. Staff provide resources to support children's physical skills and
adapt activities to meet the needs of all children. For example, children can access different
resources such as large crates, planks and different mark-making resources. This helps
them to strengthen the muscles in their legs, arms and hands.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff know children's needs well, including children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning. They work in
conjunction with families and professionals to provide appropriate strategies to support
children's individual needs. Staff regularly review children's progress and undertake regular
observations and assessments to ensure children's plans are updated and shared. This
allows staff to identify any emerging gaps in learning, and as a result, children make good
progress from their starting points. Staff share strategies with parents to provide a consistent
approach at home and in the nursery. For example, staff encourage children to use their
communication skills to speak about everyday activities they may do at home, using pictures
to support this, and share these activity ideas with parents.
Leaders and staff put strategies in place to support all children's learning and development.
For example, they have implemented a listening and attention scheme, which has helped to
develop children's communication skills. Leaders and staff work closely with speech and
language therapists, health visitors and the specialist teacher. Staff are vigilant, identifying
children's needs quickly, which allows for early help to be identified and secured. They
ensure children receive the support needed and provide opportunities and experiences to
support all children's learning and development. For example, they recognise when children
are struggling with their emotions and provide resources, such as books, to support them.
Leaders understand how to use additional funding to reduce barriers to learning. For
example, they provide extra sessions for children when needed. This means children are
able to attend more and benefit from the learning provided.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have a sound understanding of the nursery and the local community. They actively
identify priorities for improvement and how to make these improvements. For example,
leaders have exciting plans for the outdoor area. This is to ensure that children of all ages
can access the outdoor area, along with promoting road safety for the children who walk to
the nursery. Leaders and the staff team work well together and are enthusiastic about the
care and education they provide for children.
Leaders undertake regular meetings with staff, which equips staff to carry out their roles
successfully. Leaders ensure that staff receive a range of professional opportunities that

reflect children's needs, and staff learn from specialists who work alongside them. For
example, staff attend meetings with other agencies, and leaders ensure any training they
have undertaken is shared with the team. As a result, staff typically support the children in
their learning and development and implement any strategies shared from other agencies
successfully.
Leaders have developed an induction and recruitment procedure that ensures staff working
with children are suitable. This includes mandatory training, such as first aid and
safeguarding. Leaders ensure staff feel valued, and staff learn from each other as they
observe each other's practice, reflecting together and implementing new skills in their own
practice.
Partnerships with parents are effective. Leaders work with other professionals and parents
to identify children's needs, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. They encourage regular two-way
communication with parents, which results in parents feeling well informed about their
children's learning. Parents speak very highly of leaders and staff and truly value the
collaborative approach to support their children.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are at the heart of everything at this nursery. They are welcomed into the family
environment, where respect and inclusion are promoted. Children enjoy a warm and
nurturing environment, where they feel safe, secure and valued. They access the different
activities available with confidence and excitement and are curious about their learning.
There is an emphasis on health and wellbeing. Children talk about the nursery pets needing
water and being 'hydrated' and are learning about what they need to be healthy. Leaders
and staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, children have regular
access to the outdoors and have a designated cosy space where they can retreat to help
manage their emotions, recognise their feelings and regulate their behaviour. Children are
confident in their independence and build a positive relationship with their key person.
Family books and pictures are shared with the children, which promotes a sense of
belonging. Children love snuggles with staff members and enjoy sharing books and inviting
them into their play.
Every child benefits from staff knowing them well, and they make progress from their starting
points. Children access a curriculum that is typically taught well, and their interests are
considered. For example, staff use children's favourite books and talk to them about going
on holiday. Children excitedly explore both the indoor and outdoor areas. They have access

Inspector:
Louise Jarvis
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2825584
Address:
47 Chapel Lane
Coppull
Chorley
Lancashire
PR7 4PG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 23/01/2025
to different resources, and the activities planned are age- and stage appropriate to promote
their learning and development. Children follow the embedded and well-structured routines.
They run into the setting to join their peers and regularly seek out staff to share their
learning or ask for help when needed. Children invite others into their play and enjoy joining
in with group time and singing. This supports children to develop social skills and skills for
future learning.
Next steps
Leaders should continue to focus on supporting and developing staff interactions with
children to ensure they are consistently high quality and highly effective.
Leaders should strengthen the curriculum for mathematics to provide children with more
opportunities to excel in their mathematical understanding.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
children and parents during the inspection.
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.

Registered person: Bellis, Alexandra Jayne
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 17:45
Local authority: Lancashire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 19 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 3
Total number of places
22
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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