Windmill Hill Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff deliver engaging, purposeful experiences that ignite children's curiosity and inspire a love for learning. They create stimulating environments, where children remain happy, focused and involved in exploration. By responding thoughtfully to children's interests, such as setting up fossil digs, clay mark making with dinosaur feet and related book-based discovery, staff motivate children to investigate, imagine and learn.

Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum that carefully plans learning experiences to build on each child's existing knowledge and skills. Practitioners regularly assess children to identify their starting points and design activities that meet their individual learning needs. This structured and responsive approach helps every child make consistent progress and prepares them confidently for the next stage of their education.

Staff working with younger children prioritise secure attachments and create nurturing environments that support emotional well-being. They manage transitions sensitively, ensuring children feel confident and prepared for their next stage of learning. By recognising the challenges these changes can bring, staff provide individualised support and respond promptly to emotional needs, ensuring a smooth and reassuring experience for every child. Carefully planned resources, such as books and sensory spaces, promote emotional literacy, helping children understand boundaries, express emotions and seek support appropriately.

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

• Staff support communication and literacy through small-group storytelling, songs and well-known rhymes. They introduce new vocabulary with clear, simple explanations, for instance, describing binoculars as tools that 'make things look bigger'. However, teaching does not always align with intended communication goals for younger children. Staff occasionally miss opportunities to model single words or extend to two-word phrases where appropriate.
• Children thrive in a rich environment that promotes physical play and exploration, supporting overall development. A well-planned curriculum fosters gross and fine motor skills through creative, hands-on experiences, like potion-making and weighing ingredients for mud soup. The outdoor area is exceptionally designed for open-ended, active play, enabling free movement and sustained focus.
• Staff interactions are positive and responsive, fostering a calm environment with clear expectations through consistent praise and gentle guidance. However, on occasions, some interactions are not as strong. Therefore, children do not benefit from consistently high-quality teaching to support their learning.
• Targeted coaching and mentoring would support staff in the delivery of the curriculum and further raise outcomes for children to the highest level.
• Care routines are handled with sensitivity and respect, maintaining children's dignity and comfort. Children demonstrate a strong awareness of healthy habits, supported by calm, organised mealtimes that promote independence. Staff consistently reinforce nutrition messages, while leaders engage parents through clear guidance and share practical, healthy recipes.
• The setting shows strong community engagement through initiatives like charity fundraising and water-saving activities, linking children to sustainability. Acts such as gifting flowers and delivering decorated boxes to a local hospital foster empathy, gratitude and a sense of belonging.
• Staff maintain high standards for children's behaviour and recently completed targeted behaviour management training. Staff use well-planned strategies to help children identify emotions and develop self-regulation skills. For example, they select books that prompt meaningful discussions about feelings.
• Comprehensive staff inductions and ongoing training contribute to a nurturing work environment, supported by a strong focus on staff well-being. Staff benefit from a variety of opportunities that supports their continual professional development. Staff express positive views about the support they receive.
• Staff adapt teaching to meet each child's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They collaborate closely with parents and specialists to develop and deliver personalised support, ensuring every child receives the care they need within an inclusive environment.
• The setting maintains a strong partnership with parents, supporting children's development. Leaders respond to survey feedback, using training to improve communication and engagement. Parents value the caring, nurturing approach and its positive impact. Families are kept informed through daily photo updates, stay-and-play sessions and termly reports.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently model language for younger children to support early communication and vocabulary development
• develop coaching and mentoring support for staff to strengthen their interactions, to ensure all children benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.