Bright Horizons Cambridge Milton Road Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff talk with passion about child development and demonstrate their understanding through action. They recognise and act proportionately on any delays in children's development. Special educational needs coordinators know how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those known to children's social care and any children who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders seek advice from relevant external professionals and implement strategies to support individual children, such as using a 'Now and Next' approach to help children understand what comes next. This helps support processing and emotional regulation. Leaders work well with parents to ensure a consistent approach and to make sure children are supported at the right time.

The support that leaders and staff provide generally reduces barriers to children's learning and wellbeing so that they are able to make steady progress from their starting points. Where applicable, leaders allocate additional funding appropriately to support children who are disadvantaged, with children's needs and interests in mind. This helps children to learn effectively.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have implemented a rich and balanced curriculum that is strengthened by the natural environment. This helps children gain the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding they need to be suitably prepared for their next stage of learning. Staff adapt their practice to meet children's individual stage of development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This results in children typically being engaged in their learning. During a forest activity session where children are engaged in a forest café, staff weave in age-appropriate mathematical language and concepts relating to size, weight, number and space. Children develop their gross motor skills and demonstrate turn-taking skills when playing with each other on a balance rope. This contributes to developing their independence.

Across the setting, children show a love of books and join in enthusiastically with well-known songs. These opportunities help support children's early language skills. Ongoing assessment from staff of what children can do and know informs future curriculum planning for children's next steps and is based on children's interests.

Staff develop close relationships with babies and are highly attentive to their needs. During a play dough activity, staff interact positively with toddlers to develop their confidence and help learn new language. Leaders and staff understand the steps in children's learning to help build their skills, knowledge and understanding so that they achieve well.

Leaders are aware that staff interactions are not consistently of a high quality. This sometimes impacts on the progress children make. Across the setting, children are generally keen to participate and are engaged in learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Across the setting, children and babies develop in confidence and demonstrate positive engagement and attention skills. Children acquire age-appropriate communication and language skills and develop a love of stories. For example, when children seek reassurance, they indicate to their key person that they want to read their favourite book with them.

Through their body language, children demonstrate that they feel valued and included because they are well supported by staff. For example, some children enjoy playing in the outdoor sand and water areas, while others play collaboratively at the forest café. Children generally achieve well from their individual starting points and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those known to children's social care.

The development of children's independence is encouraged across the setting, which is demonstrated by age-appropriate self-help skills such as children pouring their own drinks and self-feeding. Staff develop children's early mathematical concepts across the setting by incorporating shape, space and size in everyday routines and activities, such as in the forest and water-play activities. This contributes to children being ready for their next stage of education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Across the setting and during mealtimes, staff teach children the importance of treating others with kindness, care and respect and are positive role models. This helps children identify what is expected of them and supports creating and maintaining positive relationships. Children generally show a positive attitude to learning. During a balance rope activity, staff reassure children when it will be their turn and why, which helps manage children's emotions. This also helps teach children how to play and interact collaboratively with others. Children also wait patiently in the outdoor forest area while waiting to use the hammer appropriately so that they can weave wool around nails, which develops their fine motor skills.

Children develop nurturing relationships with their key persons, which helps children feel safe and secure. Typically, any minor behaviour issues are quickly and effectively managed by staff so that children understand the impact of their behaviour on others. However, the language used by staff when managing behaviour should be age appropriate so that children can understand the expectation. During transition times, clear routines help to embed high expectations of all children, such as tidying up after themselves. Staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's independence and encourage children to manage their own personal needs, such as washing their hands before mealtimes. Generally, children adopt positive hygiene practices.

Leaders work with parents to help ensure that children attend the setting regularly. They swiftly identify any patterns of non-attendance and find ways to support parents with children's individual needs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, staff have open communication with parents and welcome children with a warm attitude on arrival. This helps children to settle and is reinforced by what parents say. Children demonstrate that they enjoy being at the setting through their positive interactions with staff. Key-person arrangements are effective. Staff have a sound understanding of children in the setting and are responsive to children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Mealtimes are well supervised, and staff use opportunities to teach children about healthy eating. Staff generally model positive social interactions during mealtimes and sit alongside children, ensuring that food is served appropriately. Staff encourage children to manage their own personal care routines with increasing independence across the setting, such as feeding themselves and pouring their own drink. These opportunities help children to develop a sense of responsibility and build confidence and their self-care skills. As a result, children typically adopt positive hygiene practices.

Sleeping arrangements are effective and carefully monitored by staff. If children become unsettled, staff swiftly respond with reassurance, helping them to feel safe and secure.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a rounded understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders' self-evaluation of the setting is appropriate and used alongside their knowledge of children's interests and individual learning needs to help inform future development. For example, leaders are continuing to develop the outdoor forest area, which children enjoy and find engaging.

Staff have regular support and supervision and, as part of this, discuss individualised training to support their specific, identified professional learning needs. Leaders are reflective, value staff views and implement positive changes. They provide appropriate support for wellbeing and take measures where possible to reduce workload. Those responsible for leadership and governance place children's best interests at the heart of the setting to help ensure that children and their families are supported as best as they can be.

Leaders and staff develop effective partnerships with parents that support the care and education of their children well. Parents talk positively about the setting, commenting on the strong and transparent communication as well as the progress their children have made because of attending the setting. Parents report that the setting listens and works with them, with children's best interests and wellbeing at heart.