URN 2768863 · Inspected 2026-03-24 · Published 2026-05-22 · Inspector: Louisa Taylor
Meadow Brook Playcare Unique reference number (URN): 2768863 Address: Meadow Children's Centre, Seaman Avenue, SAXMUNDHAM, Suffolk, IP17 1DZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/11/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Meadow Brook Playcare Inspection report: 24 March 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 Achievement Strong standard All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing make tremendous progress from their starting points. Staff create a safe and welcoming environment, and the robust key-person system means children have a reassuring base to build upon. Children who initially display shyness and find new social situations difficult flourish. Their confidence increases as staff encourage them to complete small achievable daily tasks, such as helping staff collect their lunch boxes from the trolley. Children achieve these tasks. This boosts their self-esteem and belief in their capabilities to learn new skills independently. Staff and parents liaise with outside professionals such as speech and language therapists. Children benefit from frequent and high-quality interactions between adults and children. Consequently, all children with delay in their speech are making significant progress to support them now and at school. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard This is a particular area of strength. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, benefit from consistent, daily routines. Well-thought-out times for group activities, such as story time, calm children's energy levels and help them to prepare for changes in the day. The repetition of well-organised routines, for example at morning drop-offs and at mealtimes, provides some familiarity and eases anxieties for those children who can find transitions difficult. This can also promote children's attendance and punctuality. Staff know and understand the importance of secure attachments in supporting children to settle well and become increasingly engaged in their learning. In-depth induction processes and brilliant key-person arrangements, care practices and routines and warm, positive relationships are effective in promoting children's feelings of security and character development. Staff are excellent role models and frequently provide meaningful praise when children use good manners. This helps children understand what is expected of them. Children play harmoniously throughout the nursery. Children are beginning to find solutions to any peer disputes. For example, children independently find sand timers to help them and their peers know when it is their turn with a popular toy. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Outdoor learning and real-life experiences, such as visiting the meadow and the allotment, all promote children's physical and mental health. For example, at times when children are overwhelmed, staff encourage children to these on-site areas. Children learn ways to regulate their strong emotions in positive ways, such as digging in the mud and taking deep breaths in fresh air. Staff build fantastic rapport with parents and value their input in regard to routines for babies' sleeping, weaning and feeding. Staff meticulously follow safe and familiar eating routines. Therefore, babies and children settle well, and their wellbeing needs are promoted from the start. Mealtime routines are embedded securely throughout the nursery. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, learn good table manners and hygiene routines. For example, when staff use visual prompts and model Makaton sign language, children with SEND are learning to wash their hands thoroughly to remove germs. This can contribute to children's overall health and positively impact their attendance at nursery. Staff teach children to keep safe when out and about in the community or when progressing to school effectively. Children demonstrate this during imaginative play, when they tell visitors, 'Red means stop, and green is go.' Curriculum and teaching Strong standard The curriculum is incredibly well designed by leaders. Staff's invaluable input means they are fully invested in it. They absolutely understand how to tailor it specifically to meet the individual needs of children, including using early years pupil premium funding effectively. Staff provide inspiring activities and play experiences that are based on informed assessments of children's development and individual interests. This ensures that children are always provided with the right support to achieve their next steps in learning and development. For example, staff provide daily opportunities for children to ride push bikes. This helps build core strength that can support children's physical skills, such as walking and running. Staff have clear ideas for what they want children to learn and when. They focus on children's communication and language development, including their mathematical knowledge. Leaders provide very high-quality in-house training to staff. They also work closely alongside the early years team in the local authority to improve their knowledge and expertise. Staff share training with less experienced members of staff. This means all children receive high-quality teaching. For example, staff use Makaton sign language and visual prompts. This helps children to share their opinions and eases frustration as they learn to communicate. This particularly supports those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff rigorously monitor the progress of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff provide parents with regular updates about their child's progress in ways that suit them. For example, they hold parents' meetings and provide daily discussions. This approach also affords parents opportunities to contribute to what their child is learning at home. Staff have created a very effective tracking system to ensure that children's holistic needs are consistently met from the start. For example, education, health and care plans are regularly reviewed with parents or carers and any external professionals working with the child and parents. Adaptations are systematically and skilfully adjusted as needed. This makes a sustained difference to children's opportunities and experiences. All children make excellent progress in their communication and language development. Staff swiftly identify those children who need extra support in this area of learning, and strategies are implemented to support them. For example, staff use visual prompts such as 'now and next' boards and Makaton sign language to help children communicate effectively. Early years pupil premium funding is spent effectively. For instance, trips in the community, such as visits to the library, enhance children's love of books and reading. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders ensure that a culture of high expectations and professionalism is embedded across the nursery. Leaders have superb oversight of the nursery. They sensitively access and identify areas that staff can build on their quality of teaching and interactions with children. Bespoke coaching, training and modelling is provided to help all staff broaden their knowledge and expertise. This makes a significant, positive difference to children's education and care. Staff report excellent wellbeing and express how training builds their confidence to deliver high-quality care and education. Parents, particularly those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are astoundingly positive in their feedback, praising the leadership and staff team. Staff have roles and responsibilities to match their personal strengths and interests. For example, staff who are highly trained in supporting communication and language support colleagues with Makaton training. They also provide them with signs of the week that match the topic, such as 'people who help us'. Staff use visual cues alongside their speech to strengthen children's understanding and encourage their use of verbal language. Consequently, children with speech impairments or those with SEND can take a more active part in learning and social interaction to achieve the best possible outcomes. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Throughout this inclusive nursery, children are tremendously happy and thriving. Children are making noteworthy achievements from their starting points. This is supported by gradual and tailored settling-in processes. Children have time to build caring attachments to their key persons and feel comfortable in their new environment. Fun-loving staff dress up alongside children for the topic of the week, 'people who help us'. Laughter and giggles echo throughout the nursery as staff interact with children in playful ways. As a result, children Inspector: Louisa Taylor build essential social skills, develop their imaginations and learn to understand the roles of different people in their community. This can inspire their future career paths. Outdoor learning and real-life experiences broaden children's knowledge and understanding of the natural world they live in. For example, children experience the awe and wonder of chicks or ducklings hatching. The unique and incredibly well-designed curriculum is one that is high quality, is adaptive and meets children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Assessment processes are a strength of the setting. Consequently, staff are continuously getting a holistic overview of children's development and wellbeing. Any gaps in children's learning are swiftly identified, and appropriate support is provided. Consequently, all children make significant progress in all aspects of their learning and development. Leaders and staff always work collaboratively with parents and other relevant professionals to identify children's needs. Therefore, children benefit greatly from the tailored, ongoing support that is put in place for them. For example, staff provide visual prompts such as pictures, objects and Makaton sign language to help those children who find communication difficult. This enables them to make choices and communicate their needs. Additionally, staff wear lanyards with key visual prompts tailored to individual children. This ensures that all children process information better and build independence in daily routines. Next steps Leaders should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, practitioners, and the special educational needs coordinator 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. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2768863 Address: Meadow Children's Centre Seaman Avenue SAXMUNDHAM Suffolk IP17 1DZ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 20/11/2023 Registered person: Meadow Brook Playcare Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Suffolk Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 24 March 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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