Chipmunks Nursery OSC, Brookside

Edible slime, fruit preparation and a garden of herbs and flowers give Chipmunks Nursery OSC, Brookside a practical, sensory character in its June 2023 account of nursery life. Children had opportunities to explore, make and grow things. The strongest examples connect play with everyday skills.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, while identifying improvements needed in challenge for older children, daily routines and communication with parents. It accepts children from three months to five years and has capacity for 50 children in total.

In June 2023, babies investigated dinosaurs in edible green slime, with staff participating in their play. Older children prepared fruit and made flapjacks, bringing food preparation and conversations about healthy eating together. These were hands-on experiences with a clear everyday purpose.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its inspection-era examples included sensory exploration, conversation, stories and practical activities.

In June 2023, stories shaped planning each week, while small language intervention groups used a dedicated room. Listening and understanding received targeted attention alongside shared reading. The garden offered herbs and flowers to explore, and children planted seeds and cared for growing plants.

Older children also explored mouldable soap and the shapes it could make. However, in June 2023, staff did not consistently take their learning far enough. More demanding questions and activities were needed to develop deeper thinking before school.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and positive progress for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by work with parents, other agencies and additional funded resources. These are dated judgements rather than assurances about current practice.

In June 2023, staff gathered information about children's early experiences from parents to establish their starting points. Sleep arrangements followed individual needs and routines agreed with families. Preschool children brushed their teeth daily, linking an ordinary care routine to learning about oral health.

Communication had an important weakness. In June 2023, some parents did not know their child's key person or the developmental targets staff were working on, making it harder to reinforce learning at home. Routines also sometimes failed to use the learning spaces effectively, with consequences for children's behaviour.

The address is Windmill Primary School & Early Years Centre, Beaconsfield, Brookside, Telford, TF3 1LG. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In June 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That describes participation at the inspection date.

The nursery's school-site address does not confer a Reception place. Nursery attendance does not guarantee admission.

• Challenge before school. June 2023 planning did not consistently stretch older children. Look for examples of how activities now develop deeper thinking.
• Key person and routines. June 2023 improvements concerned both developmental information shared with parents and how routines supported behaviour. These affect learning at nursery and continuity at home.
• Attendance arrangements. Opening hours span 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. Which booking pattern would fit your family's working week?

Chipmunks merits consideration for families seeking care from infancy through the preschool years, with weekday opening across the year. Its June 2023 strengths lay in sensory play, practical learning and individual support. The decision deserves equal attention to older children's challenge, purposeful routines and clear key-person communication.