Millie's House Nursery and Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager has taken effective action to improve since the last inspection. The new staff team has quickly formed good relationships with the children, and staff are enthusiastic to talk about their role.

Children are warmly greeted by staff who give them lots of cuddles and a cheerful welcome. Children enjoy exploring the exciting resources and taking part in a range of learning experiences, including water play, painting and yoga. Babies enjoy moving their bodies as staff sing to them. They join in with familiar words like 'Hooray!' Older children skilfully complete obstacle courses in the garden and gain confidence in their physical skills on the climbing frame. Children are active in their play and make choices about what to do throughout the day. Staff support and encourage them well, which helps children persevere as they develop new skills, such as learning to use scissors.

The manager is ambitious for children's learning at the nursery. The curriculum is organised well, so children are able to build on what they know and can do. Staff plan a broad educational experience for children, making use of the outdoors and the local community. This gives children a rich knowledge of the world around them. Children are highly motivated by the provision and have positive attitudes towards learning. All children make good progress from their starting points.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children have formed strong bonds with the staff. Staff are nurturing and caring, which means children settle in quickly. All children have a key person who knows them well and makes sure their individual needs are met throughout the day. This means even the newest children feel safe, secure and receive the comfort and reassurance they need.
• Children are curious and become engrossed in activities that interest them, such as looking at books. Staff follow their interests and give them time to explore their own ideas, such as letting toddlers experiment with wetting paper towels. The skilful interactions of staff mean children become confident in their abilities and ideas.
• Children's communication and language development are supported well. Children enjoy songs and rhymes and listening to stories. Staff talk to children about what they are doing and ask simple questions. They introduce new words such as 'sparkly' and 'magical' as they engage children in conversation. This teaches children new vocabulary and helps them develop confidence in speaking.
• Staff gather key words in children's home languages. Staff in the baby room use these in songs and during mealtimes to say 'hello', 'please' and 'thank you'. This strategy is not used as well as it could be with older children, who do not get as many opportunities to hear or use their home language. However, this does not have a significant impact on children expressing their preferences and talking to others.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff reinforce positive behaviour, such as praising children when they comfort friends who are upset. Staff sensitively support children to manage their behaviour. For example, they remind them to use 'gentle hands' instead of snatching. This helps children learn to follow rules and respect other children.
• Children enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals and snacks. Staff are mindful of children with allergies. Effective systems are in place to keep them safe. Children join in with counting as the staff help them serve up tomato and cucumber slices. Older children learn to use a water dispenser to help themselves to drinks throughout the day.
• Parents are keen to share their views of the nursery. They describe staff as 'kind, nurturing and thoughtful' and are pleased with the improvements made since the last inspection. They value the attention paid to children's individual needs and say their children thrive at the nursery. Communication is highly effective, as parents report they receive regular updates on their child's progress and enjoy attending social events.
• The manager has used the support of other professionals effectively to evaluate practice and make improvements. Staff feel supported and part of a good team. The manager has provided training to improve staff practice. There are monitoring systems in place which ensure improvements continue to be made.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use their own language.