Brimpton House Nursery

Brimpton House Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY310474
Address: Brimpton House, 59 High Street, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, CO5 9AE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 08/06/2005
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Brimpton House Nursery Ltd
Inspection report: 23 January 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
Overall, children's learning and development typically progress throughout the nursery.
Children are able to hang up their coats and wash their hands before mealtimes. This
supports children to manage their own needs as they get older.
Children develop a keen interest in books, learning new words and recalling and acting out
their favourite parts. During group story times, children are keen to take part in telling the
story, practising their language and developing their recall skills. However, some children
are less engaged during these times, which limits opportunities to build on their learning.
Children join in happily with familiar nursery rhymes and songs. They enjoy the nursery's
'special song' that celebrates children's all-round development, individuality and unique
selves. Children are eager to share their achievements with friends. Children feel proud of
their efforts and build their confidence.
Children communicate confidently and are specific should they request help or support with
something. This means children are well prepared for the next stage of their development,
whether they are moving through the nursery or transitioning to more formal education, such
as school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children are polite, calm and well mannered. They use 'kind hands' and support one another
with their needs. Daily songs that celebrate children's individuality and kindness help them
to learn how to care for others and be proud of their differences.
Warm and secure relationships are evident throughout the setting. Children build trusting
bonds not only with their key person but with a wide range of staff. This helps them to feel
confident in their surroundings and ready to learn. Staff support children to take turns and
resolve disagreements. When conflicts arise, staff guide children to understand each other's
perspectives and ensure that everyone has fair access to resources.
Leaders promote good attendance and punctuality effectively. They monitor children's
attendance closely, with same-day follow-up for any absence and careful attention to
emerging patterns. Parents and carers report that any concerns about children's behaviour
are handled respectfully, with staff helping them to understand child development and how
to support behaviour at home.
Staff consider each child's age, stage and individual circumstances when supporting them to
meet expectations. Children are eager to share their achievements, and staff celebrate their
successes. This helps to build children's confidence and a positive sense of belonging.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Secure attachments are evident across the nursery. Babies seek comfort from staff when
they are unsettled, and staff are able to soothe them quickly. Staff explore the emotions
children may be feeling, supporting them to recognise these with confidence. This helps
children to understand their feelings and strengthens their ability to manage their emotions
as they get older.
Children interact well with their peers. For instance, they vocalise turn-taking during sand-
play activities, passing sand scoops between them to ensure that everyone has one. Staff
use skilful questions to enhance children's thinking, and children respond by asking curious
questions in return. Children show enjoyment and emotional security throughout the day.
Children enjoy healthy and balanced home-cooked meals that are tailored to their individual
dietary needs. Robust processes, including a traffic-light system, are used to highlight where
children may have specific dietary needs, and frequent checks are made to keep children
safe. Children learn how to keep healthy and fit through regular physical activity indoors and
outdoors. As children get older, staff introduce the concept of physical education to support
children's transition into more formal school routines.
Staff promote children's independence by encouraging children to dress themselves, pour
drinks and serve meals. They help children to express their needs clearly, developing their
vocabulary, confidence and a secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Staff complete regular
headcounts to help keep children safe. However, sometimes this process interrupts
children's play and learning.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff design the curriculum to support children's all-round development. They encourage
children to practise self-help skills, such as putting on their coats and changing their shoes.
Children are able to express their needs confidently.
Children take part in regular 'together time' to enhance their communication and confidence
in a whole-group activity. Themes, such as days of the week, seasons and parents' careers,
help spark curiosity, with children sharing items from home. However, not all children were
observed to join in. Staff have not yet considered how to adapt these sessions so that every
child, particularly those who engage less readily, can access the intended learning and fully
benefit from the experience.
Staff record children's progress in individual shared learning journals. They use children's
interests and personal circumstances to shape rich role-play experiences. For example, they
use teddy bears and boxes, alongside a familiar story, to support children to prepare and
feel ready to move into a new house.
Staff embed children's mathematical learning throughout daily interactions across all age
groups. Children and staff complete headcounts of each other, count when going up the
stairs, and count bugs they find in the sand or when stacking blocks. Staff use mathematical
vocabulary to ask curious questions about shapes, sizes and placing of objects to
encourage children's communication and language alongside their problem-solving skills.

Staff promote children's physical development throughout the nursery. They plan the
spacious outdoor environment to support children's independence, such as with access to
balancing beams and pedal toys. However, there are times when staff overlook
opportunities to extend children's learning outdoors. This mean that children do not
consistently deepen their exploratory play and develop new skills.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff identify children's needs at an early stage. Effective partnerships between
parents and carers and agencies ensure that children receive tailored and timely support.
Staff monitor children's progress closely and review the impact of interventions, adapting
strategies as needed. For instance, staff use stories, songs and rhymes to enhance
children's vocabulary and communication skills. Families consistently report their children
grow, thrive and develop confidently within the setting.
Individual care plans provide consistency and reassurance for parents, who know their
children's needs are understood and met. Trusting relationships with families help to remove
barriers to children's attendance and engagement, supporting children to access learning
regularly.
Staff receive ongoing training to recognise when children may require additional help.
Leaders maintain effective links with children's social care. This ensures that children known
or previously known to services continue to make secure progress. Leaders apply for
additional funding where appropriate, ensuring that children benefit from targeted support.
They use early years pupil premium funding collaboratively with families to identify how best
to promote each child's development. However, there are not consistent or clear links
between purchased resources and children's next steps in learning to further strengthen the
impact of this funding.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for what they want children to learn. They equip
staff to deliver this through regular team meetings, high-quality training and purposeful
supervision sessions. Leaders reflect on what is working well and regularly observe practice
to understand ways to enhance provision. However, they have not provided further support
so that all staff are able to ensure that activities and learning opportunities are accessed by
all children.
Ongoing professional development is widely available, strengthening staff's expertise at all
levels. For example, the nursery benefits from the additional support and expertise of
leaders within the wider organisation. This helps to strengthen their practice in safeguarding,
supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and recruitment. This
ensures that staff are confident and well prepared to meet children's diverse needs. Staff's
wellbeing is prioritised, and staff feel comfortable seeking advice, knowing their views are
valued. Safeguarding remains a central focus, with leaders maintaining high expectations
and ensuring it features prominently in training and team discussions.
Leaders look ahead to the needs of the local community and are exploring opportunities to
expand the building to accommodate growing demand. They work flexibly with other settings

within the organisation to ensure that there are always sufficient staff to keep the nursery
running safely and efficiently.
Parents and carers and staff frequently highlight how visible and approachable leaders are.
This helps to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Leaders actively seek
parents' feedback, which they use to shape improvements. Families consistently express
how much they appreciate the individual care and support their children receive and the
positive impact this has on their development.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive at the nursery happy, confident and eager to begin their day. Staff and
leaders know their children and families well. They welcome children and their families,
supporting them to feel valued from the outset. Children settle quickly into play and the
activities that are waiting for them. Children form positive friendships, and staff encourage
them to share their experiences from home. This helps children to develop a deep sense of
belonging. Staff support children's individual care routines. Younger children and babies
benefit from predictable routines and warm relationships with familiar staff. This helps them
to feel secure from the very start of their day.
Children's learning is typically staggered so that activities match their developmental stage.
Through the nursery's curriculum, children learn to embrace individuality and understand
how to be healthy and happy. Children grow into confident and independent learners. Staff
promote healthy choices, and children echo this in their play. For example, children proudly
explain that they should have only one ice cream as 'ice cream has lots of sugar'. This
demonstrates how well these messages are understood by children.
Staff support all children through tailored next steps in learning that guide their progress
effectively. They are knowledgeable and identify children's differing needs well. Staff offer
targeted support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring that
they thrive and achieve. Staff use adult-led activities to teach children how to be kind and
turn-taking. Parents and carers report that children then display these skills at home.
Staff celebrate children's achievements, encouraging them to share successes with friends.
This boosts children's confidence. Staff handle transitions with care, with settling-in sessions
and key-person support helping children to move smoothly through the nursery. Staff weave
rich vocabulary and mathematical language into daily routines. They value children's ideas,

Inspector:
Becky Brame
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY310474
Address:
Brimpton House
59 High Street, Kelvedon
Colchester
Essex
CO5 9AE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 08/06/2005
for example by planning 'a superhero day' inspired by their suggestions. Staff meet
children's personal and medical needs well, ensuring that every child thrives.
Next steps
Leaders and staff should develop learning activities further to ensure that all children can
fully access the intended learning goals, including those who engage less readily.
Leaders should ensure early years pupil premium funding is clearly linked to children's
next steps and regularly reviewed to ensure that children's progression is evident.
Leaders and staff should prioritise children's ability to sustain high-quality engagement in
their learning and play activities.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the manager, staff, designated safeguarding leads and the special
educational needs coordinator during the inspection. Children communicated with the
inspector during the inspection. Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector.
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: Brimpton House Nursery Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Essex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 23 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
54
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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