Brooklands Young Explorers
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Manningtree for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2008, with 54 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
CO11 1RXWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 5 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that fosters children's current interests. They prioritise children's emotional well-being, where children feel safe and secure at nursery. From this, children settle well, and staff form strong bonds with children to help them feel a real sense of belonging. Children show deep fascination with play dough and make 'wiggly worms'. Staff model how to roll play dough as children talk about what owls like to eat. Children beam with smiles as they show one another the worms they have created. This helps children to develop a kind and caring attitude towards each other.
Children have ample opportunities to explore their physical skills. They like to use bikes and cars to race one another. Staff help children to practise their balancing skills as they climb stairs and tyres confidently. Children show excitement when they reach the top and take a big jump. This develops their core strength. Children behave well and respond to instructions from staff, who give them praise for their abilities and achievements. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence. Children make good progress throughout their time at nursery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff interactions to provide further opportunities for children and develop their focus and engagement n develop leadership arrangements for sharing information to build staff's confidence.
- 5 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 9 January 2020Outstanding
- 22 October 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Brooklands Young Explorers
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.