Kids Inc Day Nursery, Broomfield

Food-bank deliveries and pyjama donations give Broomfield’s nursery story a practical sense of kindness. In October 2023, children helped take collected food to a food bank and donated pyjamas for children in hospital: helping others became something they could do, rather than just discuss.

Kids Inc Day Nursery, Broomfield cares for children from three months to five years on Broomfield Road in Chelmsford. At its 2 October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, with strengths in communication and independence alongside improvements needed in questioning and explanations of behaviour.

The useful distinction for parents is between children learning routines and children understanding them. That distinction runs through the nursery’s inspection findings and gives families a clear point to explore when choosing care.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care, including preparation for school. Here, the October 2023 examples show how that translates into ordinary play: conversations, stories, counting and opportunities to practise doing things independently.

In October 2023, adults described babies’ play as it happened, giving them words to hear and try. Toddlers participated in stories by repeating familiar phrases and asking about illustrations. Preschool children talked with adults and one another and could make their needs understood. The emphasis was on language used throughout the day, rather than confined to a single activity.

Mathematics also came through play in October 2023. Younger children heard counting and vocabulary about weight and size; older children explored time with sand timers. A physical resource made an abstract idea easier to discuss. Adults also introduced ball skills and explained unfamiliar games, helping children take part in activities they were still learning.

There was a limitation. In October 2023, adults sometimes supplied explanations without opening enough space for children to develop their own ideas. Parents who value exploratory conversation should distinguish between an adult giving the answer and helping a child work towards one.

Outdoor and Community Life

October 2023 community activities included taking donations to a food bank and supporting children at a local hospital. These were concrete ways to connect nursery life with other people’s needs. Their value lay in children participating in the help themselves.

In October 2023, children turned to staff when they needed comfort, while adults modelled courteous behaviour. Independence developed through small, repeatable tasks: younger children practised cleaning their hands and feeding themselves with cutlery; older children tackled shoes, tidying and handwashing. These are useful foundations for managing everyday routines.

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported that staff used information from parents to plan children’s development, with progress extending to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those findings describe care at that date.

Stories supported conversations about emotions in October 2023. Younger children considered why a character might be happy or sad, while preschool children could explain their own feelings. Behaviour support was less consistent: adults did not always explain the reasons behind boundaries or the effects of children’s actions. Following a rule and understanding why it exists are different skills.

Families were involved beyond daily updates in October 2023. Staff shared children’s next steps and ideas for learning at home, and planned stay-and-play sessions and information evenings for parents and grandparents. Advice also covered preparation for school. This gave relatives practical ways to connect with children’s learning, rather than restricting communication to attendance and care routines.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 299 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 4DU. Care runs throughout the year, Monday to Friday, with closures for bank holidays and the Christmas-to-New-Year week.

Telephone, email and an enquiry form provide ways to contact the nursery. Visits and trial sessions are offered; the group-wide trial arrangement presented for Broomfield is a free one-hour session arranged in advance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Private childcare and funded childcare are offered, with 15-hour and 30-hour funding options. Eligibility remains a condition of using funded entitlement. Meals and activities are included in the nursery fee, as is a nursery backpack, which simplifies the ordinary paid-care package. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Earlier starts. Broomfield gives conflicting opening times, 7.30am and 8am, with a 6pm finish in both. Confirm the start time before building a work schedule around an early drop-off.
• Thinking and behaviour. October 2023 improvement points concerned extending children’s ideas and explaining boundaries consistently. During a visit, ask how adults now use questions and explanations in play and disagreements.
• Trying the setting. A free one-hour trial can be arranged in advance under the group-wide offer. Use it to discuss how your child’s first sessions would be planned.
• Funded-care costs. The fee package includes meals and activities, while funding options cover 15 or 30 hours. Ask for a written breakdown separating funded hours, additional care, food and consumables before comparing costs.

Broomfield suits families seeking care across the year for babies through to preschool age, with meals and activities included in the paid package. Its October 2023 examples give substance to communication, practical independence and helping others.

The choice also deserves scrutiny of adult interaction. Encouraging children to explain their thinking and understand boundaries were the areas needing more consistent attention. For parents, those are useful measures of the everyday experience, alongside the practical fit of opening times and funded-care arrangements.