Broussa Day Nursery & Nursery School

Pirate Park games, Stamford Park bear hunts and connections with Halecroft Grange Care Home give Broussa a life beyond its garden. This Hale nursery combines an Edwardian building with local outings and community relationships, making familiar places part of children’s learning rather than keeping the day within nursery walls.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Broussa Outstanding overall, with communication, children’s participation in decisions and early independence among its strengths. That is a dated judgement, but the detail behind it matters: children helped shape menus and resources, while even babies practised communicating their needs.

Broussa has capacity for 65 children, accepting ages from birth to five. Its address is 27 Warwick Road, Hale, Altrincham, WA15 9NP. Morning and afternoon attendance can be requested through the enquiry form; the practical details belong below.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care. For parents, that means a day in which play, conversation and everyday routines support learning together, rather than treating education as a separate lesson.

In June 2023, children’s council discussions gave children a part in choosing equipment, shaping their surroundings and contributing to food choices. The same collaborative habits appeared in play: children making dough exchanged suggestions about its texture and took turns listening. The practical value is clear. Children had opportunities to express a preference, hear another view and work towards a shared result.

Language work reached across ages. Babies used signs during meals, while older children explored unfamiliar words and considered how to use them. Books and storytelling also took different forms: babies showed interest in books, toddlers drew family pictures, and older children invented stories with a clear sequence. These are concrete examples of learning being adjusted to children’s stage, rather than one activity being repeated for everyone.

Other June 2023 examples joined sensory exploration to early mathematics. Toddlers investigated scents and measured water by filling containers with cups. Babies practised putting on shoes after watching an adult demonstrate. Ordinary materials and familiar tasks supplied opportunities to investigate, count and persist.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoors, Broussa has generous open areas, daylight and contemporary interiors within its Edwardian building. Outside is a substantial garden with mature greenery and room for running. Landscaping is under way to add an allotment, a nature workshop and a wildlife garden, alongside spaces for babies and reading. These are planned additions, rather than facilities to treat as already completed.

Outings include team games at Pirate Park and bear hunts in Stamford Park. Yoga and forest school also sit alongside the nursery’s activities; forest school brings learning into an outdoor setting. The parks offer a different setting for movement and exploration from the nursery garden.

Community connections include Hale library and St Peter’s church, with intergenerational relationships at Halecroft Grange Care Home. Children also take part in local litter picking, food-bank donations and making decorations for Hale’s Christmas tree. The emphasis is on participating in the neighbourhood, as well as exploring it.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with SEND well established, including additional speech screening led by a communication champion and targeted help that supported progress. The useful detail is the mechanism: emerging language needs prompted screening and a response, rather than simply a broad promise of inclusion.

Broussa’s current team includes three qualified SENDCOs and a communication champion. These roles give families identifiable responsibilities around additional needs and speech development. Think Equal supports social and emotional learning, including how children value themselves and other people; NDNA maths champions supports early mathematical development. Each adds a named strand to the nursery’s provision.

In June 2023, children encountered different experiences through visitors, including Paralympians and people accompanied by guide dogs. Grandparents shared stories in Spanish, and Spanish-speaking families helped other children understand them. Parents also contributed knowledge of their work and traditions. These encounters made differences between people something children could discuss through direct experience.

Everyday independence received attention too. In June 2023, babies identified their own drinking cups using pictures, older babies served food and used cutlery, and toddlers followed visual prompts for tidying. For a parent, the significance is the opportunity to practise manageable tasks, not merely have them completed by an adult.

Sessions and Attendance

Broussa opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year apart from bank holidays. Those are opening hours. The enquiry form allows families to select morning or afternoon attendance on individual weekdays, with Broussa identified as a separate nursery choice.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 928 5178 or by email to broussa@elmscot.co.uk. The Warwick Road address places the nursery in a residential area of Hale. Local parks and community venues form part of its activities, rather than requiring families to rely solely on the garden for outdoor experiences.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2023, Broussa provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Most childcare vouchers are accepted. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery’s written quotation, with the attendance pattern and any additional charges clearly separated.

Food is connected to learning as well as care: in June 2023, children contributed to menu decisions and practised serving themselves. Broussa holds the Soil Association’s Early Years Food for Life award, which recognises food provision and food education.

• Care for the youngest children. Broussa accepts children from birth, and its garden plans include a baby area. During a visit, ask how babies’ room arrangements, sleep and settling are organised, and how many children share their space.
• Garden development. Landscaping includes plans for an allotment and nature workshop. Ask which areas are ready for children to use and how outdoor play operates while the work continues.
• Attendance and total cost. Morning and afternoon choices sit within the 7.30am to 6pm opening window. Before agreeing a booking, clarify the session boundaries and obtain a written breakdown covering funded hours, additional attendance, meals and consumables.

Broussa suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance with local outings and community contact woven into nursery life. Pirate Park, Stamford Park and Halecroft Grange Care Home give that offer a recognisable Hale character.

The June 2023 Outstanding judgement carries substance in its examples of children making decisions, developing language and practising independence. For families with babies, the most useful next step is a visit centred on care arrangements; for those drawn to outdoor learning, the garden development deserves attention alongside the established park outings.