Bright Horizons Millhouses Day Nursery And Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are extremely well supported to achieve their full potential. From the outset, key persons establish highly effective partnerships with families and swiftly identify children who may benefit from additional or specialist support. This prompt identification ensures that children receive the help they need at the earliest opportunity, enabling them to make excellent progress from their starting points.

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of each child's individual needs and skilfully adapt provision to remove barriers to learning. They precisely tailor learning experiences and interventions to address gaps in development and build on children's strengths. Supported by passionate leaders, key persons devise ambitious and highly individualised support plans that break learning into manageable, achievable steps. For example, some children receive targeted support to develop their communication and language skills through high-quality interactions with their key person, including shared book experiences. Key persons use effective teaching strategies to extend children's vocabulary and improve their pronunciation. Consequently, children make noticeable gains in their language development and are increasingly confident communicators.

There is rigorous oversight of children's progress. Leaders monitor the implementation and impact of support plans. Their passion and unwavering commitment to inclusive practice are reflected throughout the staff team, who place the child's voice firmly at the centre of decision-making. Staff regularly engage in robust observation, assessment and review cycles, working collaboratively with parents and other professionals to evaluate progress and identify next steps. They share relevant information effectively, including strategies for home learning and updates on children's achievements towards their targets. Partnerships with families and professionals are strong and purposeful, resulting in well-targeted support that has a demonstrable and sustained impact. Consequently, children with SEND make measurable progress, are fully included in nursery life and are very well prepared for the next stages in their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Inspirational room leaders mentor their teams, constantly reflecting on the quality of the curriculum that they teach children. Staff understand that every interaction with children is an opportunity for teaching and learning. They are highly skilled at adapting teaching in the moment, interweaving early mathematical learning and fully engaging in purposeful interactions with children that promote their curiosity. The curriculum is precisely sequenced so that children develop excellent language skills to communicate effectively. They ask thoughtful questions, share their insight and ideas and use challenging vocabulary in their play. For example, children make a river of pretend lava and staff join them to develop their understanding further. Children use new vocabulary such as 'explode' and develop understanding that lava is hot, splashing it with cold water to 'cool it down'.

There is a sharp focus placed on children's communication and language development. Babies and children regularly share stories and engage in singing. For example, babies enjoy multi-sensory song times in the garden. As they sing together, babies 'sail across the sea' and staff blow bubbles to bring the experience to life. They introduce words such as 'splish' and 'splash', and as a result, babies learn to attend to what is being said, developing their spoken language and understanding of new vocabulary. Staff identify the small steps that children need to practise to gain competence in a physical skill. For example, as children play with dough, staff focus their teaching on developing children's dexterity to stretch, roll and squeeze the dough. Children join in with songs that staff sing to teach them these actions. As a result, children develop the motor control they need to use tools, such as scissors. Leaders are highly ambitious in their pursuit of sustained excellence. They continue to refine and strengthen the implementation of the curriculum to ensure exceptional standards in teaching, learning and curriculum delivery are consistently embedded and sustained over time.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children achieve fantastically well across the ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum, and make sustained progress from their starting points. Children develop a strong understanding of their emotions and confidently use strategies to self-regulate. For example, some children use visual cues to understand routines and anticipate what will happen next. This helps them manage transitions successfully. Children develop strong emotional resilience and increasing independence. They feel safe, secure and confident as they move between activities and daily routines.

Children develop highly effective communication and language skills that enrich their play, learning and relationships. They confidently share ideas, negotiate roles and collaborate with their peers. For example, children work together to plan a hospital role play, discussing responsibilities as they mix pretend medication and organise the rescue of a patient. Children are very well prepared for each stage of their learning and for their eventual move to school. Children benefit from robust transition arrangements and continue to thrive from the outset, building securely on the excellent progress they have already made.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have embedded highly effective procedures to monitor attendance and swiftly follow up on any absence. They maintain strong oversight and work closely with families to understand their individual circumstances and promote regular attendance. This proactive approach contributes significantly to children's safety and wellbeing. The respectful culture established by leaders is deeply embedded throughout the nursery. Warm, nurturing relationships between key persons and children underpin every aspect of practice. Staff place children's learning, wellbeing and dignity at the centre of daily interactions and routines. They communicate respectfully with babies and children, gaining eye contact and seeking permission before offering support. For example, staff use signing to ask babies if they would like help when exploring challenging physical experiences. Babies are given time to consider and respond, demonstrating the value staff place on children's voice and autonomy.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They consistently show kindness, respect and consideration for others. Children listen attentively, share ideas and take turns during play. For example, during role-play activities, children sensitively support their friends' communication needs, patiently allowing them time to think and respond. This highly inclusive culture ensures that all children, including those who face barriers to learning, feel valued, respected and fully included. Secure attachments with sensitive key persons help children feel exceptionally safe and emotionally secure. Staff advocate for children and genuinely listen to their wishes and preferences. As a result, children demonstrate remarkable levels of confidence and independence in managing daily routines. For example, children recognise when they need rest and independently choose a calm, safe space to sleep, showing developing awareness of their own emotional and physical needs. Staff closely monitor their safety throughout.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

The nursery's nurturing approach is deeply embedded in practice and underpins the strong relationships that staff build with children and their families. Warm, trusting partnerships begin well before children start attending. Key persons establish meaningful relationships with families during the maternity period, enabling them to gain a detailed understanding of babies' individual needs, routines and family circumstances. Families are welcomed into the setting and given opportunities to spend time with staff, learn about nursery life and experience the high-quality care and learning on offer. This collaborative approach helps parents feel valued and reassured, while ensuring that children experience a seamless transition into the nursery. As a result, babies quickly develop secure attachments with their key persons, feel safe and emotionally secure, and confidently begin to explore their new environment.

There is a consistent focus on children's welfare and wellbeing and priority given to their developing autonomy. Children thrive in an environment where their wellbeing and growing independence are at the heart of daily practice. Well-established routines provide consistent opportunities for children to become increasingly self-sufficient. For example, babies develop the coordination needed to feed themselves, younger children learn to use cutlery with increasing competence, and older children demonstrate exceptional independence as they follow hygiene routines and take responsibility for tidying away after meals. Consequently, children develop remarkable levels of independence, confidence and self-care, preparing them extremely well for the next stage in their learning.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate an unwavering commitment to excellence. They maintain an accurate and rigorous understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development, using highly effective self-evaluation to drive continuous improvement. Their ambitious vision and high expectations for quality are shared by all staff. As a result, high standards are consistently maintained and children achieve particularly well. Leaders are adaptive and responsive to the changing needs of the setting. They maintain strong oversight of the nursery through effective monitoring and review. They adapt procedures to meet the changing needs of the setting, ensuring information about children is recorded and analysed effectively. This helps safeguarding leaders identify emerging concerns and assess potential risks at the earliest opportunity.

Inspirational room leaders motivate and empower their teams to make a meaningful contribution to improving the quality of provision. Highly effective supervision arrangements promote reflective practice and support staff to identify ambitious professional goals that further enhance children's experiences and outcomes. Staff benefit from extensive training, coaching and professional development opportunities, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of all children. For example, leaders facilitate specialist training and guidance that enables staff to implement consistent and highly effective strategies to support children with additional needs.

Partnership working with parents is especially effective and purposeful. Leaders and staff recognise the vital role that families play in children's learning and development and actively involve them in the life of the nursery. Key persons take responsibility for leading meaningful partnership meetings, sharing detailed information about children's progress, achievements and next steps in learning. This collaborative approach ensures continuity between home and nursery and has a significant positive impact on children's care, learning and development.