Millys Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are well cared for at this friendly setting. Babies benefit from particularly warm and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff respond quickly to their needs and give them reassuring cuddles when necessary. Children are encouraged to become more independent over time. Children of all ages happily help to tidy up the play areas as part of daily routines. Toddlers confidently make choices about their activities. They initiate a singing group activity with staff and take turns to choose nursery rhymes to sing.

Staff encourage children to be curious about the world around them. Babies confidently take part in sensory experiences. They happily practise standing and try to pop bubbles in the air. Older children delight as they find hawk moths outside. Staff support them to make connections to their previous learning about life cycles. Children confidently recall learning about the parts of a plant and exclaim that bees take pollen back to their hive to make honey. Children demonstrate good attitudes to their learning.

The leadership team has recently been appointed. Leaders have quickly embedded a new curriculum and made positive changes to the organisation of the nursery. Parents report how happy their children are in the setting and how well they have responded to the changes.

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

• Leaders have put in place an ambitious curriculum based on what children already know and need to know next. Key persons regularly share children's next steps with other members of staff to ensure effective support for children. All children make good progress across the curriculum, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Children make particularly good progress in mathematics. Staff provide frequent opportunities for children to deepen their mathematical knowledge. They reinforce and introduce new mathematical vocabulary as children explore different 2D shapes. Children learn about triangles and squares and how they can use these to build different shapes, such as pyramids. Children are keen to learn and respond well to staff.
• Staff extend children's vocabulary very well. They use questioning to develop children's understanding as part of frequent high-quality interactions with children. There is a clear progression over time and high expectation of the words children can understand and say. For example, toddlers learn the word 'trough' as they play with a farm set.
• Children develop their physical skills well. Staff support babies as they practise climbing on soft-play equipment. They ensure babies access activities at different heights where they need to pull themselves up to stand. Older children develop their throwing, catching and rolling skills with balls. Staff take children on daily visits to the local park to ensure children have access to a wider range of experiences, including using ride-on toys and scooters. However, these outdoor learning experiences are not as well planned by staff as they could be for the less confident children, who are not always supported to fully engage in activities, especially on wet days.
• Children learn to keep themselves safe. Staff help children to understand when they might be at risk. They provide clear strategies for children to help manage risks, such as reinforcing the need to stop, look and listen when they are crossing the road to the local park together. Children discuss what they know about safety and support each other to stay safe.
• Staff provide opportunities throughout the day for children to be together in different age groups. Children enjoy seeing their friends and siblings. However, at snack time in particular, when children move from one activity to another, staff can be too slow in communicating clearly what is happening. At these times, some children are unaware of staff's expectations of them and move around looking for things to do.
• Staff morale is high. Leaders consult staff on changes in the setting and value their ideas. They ensure staff receive regular supervision sessions and targeted training to support their roles, for example in improving their knowledge of how to identify and support children with SEND.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the planning of outdoor learning to ensure less-confident children are well supported by staff to take part in activities, especially on wet days
• manage routines more readily to help the younger children's understanding of adults' expectations and ensure they know what to do next.