Nina's Pre-School at Brookside

A large woodland area gives this small preschool a useful counterweight to its homely indoor character. Nina's Pre-School at Brookside has capacity for 24 children aged three to five, with natural resources to explore and regular visits to nearby shops, a church and retirement homes. The emphasis is on getting to know both materials and people beyond the preschool itself.

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that referrals and work with other professionals supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There were also clear teaching priorities: greater consistency in putting the curriculum into practice, and more help for children to think through questions independently.

The preschool operates during term time, with opening hours of 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and a Before and After school Club. Its setting at Brookside Primary School will interest families considering how preschool care fits around school life.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its everyday meaning can be seen in opportunities to practise talking, handling tools, sharing materials and becoming more independent, rather than treating preparation for school as an isolated task.

In September 2024, family experiences helped shape activities. Holiday photographs became starting points for conversation and new vocabulary; a child's trip to Paris prompted construction of the Eiffel Tower. These examples show how an experience brought from home could become something to discuss, build and explore with others.

Practical tasks also formed part of learning that September. Children used tongs when serving toast and peeled bananas, exercising the small movements needed for handling tools. At snack time, they arranged their chairs and cleared away peelings. These were useful opportunities to take responsibility for manageable jobs, rather than having adults complete every step.

The curriculum's weaker point was the step from talking to thinking. In September 2024, staff did not consistently share a clear understanding of the intended learning, and their support for children to work out answers independently was less developed. For parents, the distinction matters: plentiful conversation and engaging activities do not by themselves show how effectively an adult extends a child's reasoning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large outdoor woodland area is a concrete feature of this branch. Natural resources are also part of the preschool's offer, giving children materials to investigate alongside opportunities for outdoor activity. In September 2024, outdoor play included pushing and carrying prams, while indoor tasks exercised smaller hand movements.

Regular community visits include shops, a church and retirement homes. These give children encounters with different people and settings beyond their usual play space. In September 2024, outings also included a forest and a library, and children exchanged postcards with people around the world. The postcards connected something tangible they could send and receive with places beyond their immediate neighbourhood.

Relationships featured strongly in daily life in September 2024. Staff gathered information from families about children's needs and used it when planning activities. Children shared personal experiences with adults, providing a practical connection between home and preschool rather than keeping the two parts of their lives separate.

That September, making play dough gave children opportunities to share ingredients and work together. Staff also helped them practise waiting for a turn and using polite language. These are small, repeated social tasks with a clear purpose: learning how to take part in a group and make room for someone else's contribution.

All staff at the branch are trained in paediatric first aid. This describes a practical arrangement, while the safeguarding judgement belongs to the dated inspection above. For children needing additional help, the September 2024 findings included referrals to external services and directing parents towards other professional support.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Brookside Primary School, Ashbourne Drive, Stockport, SK6 8DB. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the preschool offers fully funded hours during term time only. The Before and After school Club provides care around the school day; the opening window should be read as operating hours rather than a timetable for individual bookings.

Families can contact the Brookside preschool by telephone on 01663 308008 or email preschool@ninasnurseries.com. A branch enquiry form is another contact route. For parents planning care, the term-time pattern is the important starting point: school holidays need to be considered separately from the preschool week.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes itself as having excellent links with Brookside Primary School, where it is based. Attending the preschool does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The connection may be relevant to a family's plans, but the preschool choice and the school application remain separate decisions.

• Teaching consistency. In September 2024, curriculum intentions were not understood consistently across the staff team, and support for independent thinking needed strengthening. At a visit, ask how adults now extend children's questions and keep learning intentions consistent.
• Term-time care. Fully funded hours are offered during term time only. Families needing care through school holidays should weigh that calendar alongside the weekday opening window and the Before and After school Club.
• School-site expectations. Links with Brookside Primary School are part of this preschool's appeal, but attendance does not guarantee Reception admission. Keep the local authority application timetable separate from childcare planning.

Nina's Pre-School at Brookside suits families seeking term-time preschool care, as well as those interested in before- and after-school care. Its small overall capacity, woodland area and regular community visits give parents concrete reasons to consider it. The September 2024 Good judgement sits alongside specific teaching improvements, making the quality of adult questioning and curriculum consistency useful priorities when assessing the fit for a child.