Brooklyn Day Nursery

Outdoor space and child-led discovery give Brooklyn Day Nursery its character. Its rural Annesley setting supports an approach built around play, nature and children finding things out for themselves. Forest School adds outdoor learning aimed at helping children develop social and emotional skills, rather than treating the grounds simply as somewhere to let off steam.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 11 April 2023 inspection and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, but the detail behind it is useful: children explored language through real objects, tackled physical challenges and showed care for one another.

Brooklyn cares for children from birth to 60 months at Forest House on Derby Road. It opens on weekdays from 7.45am to 6pm, across the year apart from bank holidays.

Rooms and Ages

In April 2023, children in the pre-school room climbed substantial play equipment with staff nearby to help when needed; physical play gave them opportunities to judge a challenge and decide how to approach it. Children in the tweenie room responded to a coughing friend with a comforting touch and a drink, making consideration for others visible in everyday play. In the toddler room, additional bags supported children's interest in carrying objects around, adapting the environment to an interest they were already pursuing.

These examples matter because they show different kinds of learning. A climbing challenge involves physical judgement, helping a friend involves recognising another child's needs, and transporting objects gives an existing play interest somewhere to develop.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play and everyday exploration provide opportunities to practise communication, movement and relationships. The current child-led approach uses nature and the surrounding environment to explore themselves, other people and the wider world.

In April 2023, real pineapples prompted children to explore texture and learn descriptive vocabulary. Babies encountered a pretend beach activity using shells, seaweed and finely crushed biscuits in place of sand, chosen because babies explore with their mouths as well as their hands. These were concrete experiences, with language and sensory exploration attached to something children could handle.

Reflected sunlight also became part of imaginative play that April. Staff turned the moving reflections into pretend fairies and used letters celebrating achievements at home and in nursery. The link between imagination and everyday choices gave children an engaging context for thinking about their behaviour.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff used their knowledge of children alongside parents' views to support rapid developmental progress and preparation for school, with sign-language training shared by staff and parents supporting communication for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This connected support at home with support in nursery, rather than treating the two as separate parts of a child's life.

In April 2023, preschool children could explain who their key worker was and associated that person with kindness and stories. That is a useful example of what a familiar adult relationship meant to the children themselves.

Staff wellbeing also had a physical place that April: a shepherd's hut offered somewhere to pause and reflect. Colleagues gave one another encouraging feedback about their work, alongside training intended to extend children's learning opportunities.

Food received attention too. In April 2023, changes to meals and snacks reduced their sugar content as part of work on healthier eating.

Brooklyn Day Nursery's address is Forest House, Derby Road, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0AQ. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01623 752 092 or through the contact form, which takes a family's details and message for a response from the nursery.

The current opening window is 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening apart from bank holidays. That window is useful for planning the working day; the attendance arrangement itself belongs in the discussion before joining.

In April 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Families considering funded attendance should distinguish the entitlement they intend to use from the particular attendance arrangement they want.

• Attendance and funding. How would the nursery structure your intended days within its weekday opening window, and which funded entitlement and additional charges would apply to that arrangement?
• Outdoor learning. Forest School and rural outdoor space are central practical attractions. During a visit, explore how outdoor experiences are adapted for your child's stage of development.
• The inspection date. The Outstanding judgement dates to April 2023. Use a visit to discuss how the examples of child-led play and communication support translate into your child's day now.

Brooklyn suits families drawn to outdoor learning, play shaped by children's interests and a rural setting. Its weekday opening window also gives working parents a clear starting point for planning care.

The April 2023 examples add substance to that appeal: bags chosen for toddlers' transporting play, sensory exploration adapted for babies, and climbing challenges for older children. The strongest reason to consider Brooklyn is that connection between a child's interests and the experiences adults create around them.