Milestones Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement All children are welcomed by friendly, smiling staff at the start of their day. Babies are supported well during transition into the nursery.

As a result, they settle quickly and soon form secure relationships with staff and other children. They benefit from a relaxed and calm environment where they can explore and follow their interests. Babies' care routines reflect those they experience at home.

This promotes their emotional well-being. The nursery makes adequate risk assessments to keep children safe. Staff work effectively in partnerships with other professionals to protect children.

Leaders are proactive in... seeking additional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that children with SEND enjoy a carefully planned curriculum and have dedicated support from staff who know them well. This ensures that they make good progress from their starting points.

All children have opportunities to play outdoors in the fresh air each day. They develop their physical skills as they climb, balance and negotiate space safely. Good hygiene routines and children's independence in self-care are promoted.

Children benefit from consistent guidance from patient staff who manage unwanted behaviour well. Children begin to follow rules and instructions and are learning to manage their own behaviour. This means that children have some of the skills they need for the next stage in their learning.

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

On the day of the inspection, the provider had not ensured that there was a manager or named deputy manager to take charge in her absence. As a result, staff did not know who was taking the role of lead in the nursery. Despite this, staff present were suitably qualified and deployed appropriately to meet children's needs.

They had a secure understanding of their role in protecting children and of safeguarding policies and procedures. This means that risks to children were minimised.The provider does not currently implement a well-planned and sequenced curriculum for toddlers and pre-school children.

In addition, she does not equip these rooms with a good range of resources to capture children's interests. This limits the choices they make about their play and learning. For example, books in the toddler room are few and most of them are kept on a shelf out of children's reach.

Children use recipe books for reference in the play kitchen, but do not have the resources they need to support their imaginative play.Not all children benefit from positive interactions with staff during their play. They lack stimulation and motivation to learn.

Consequently, some children wander with little focus for their play and are not supported to make the best possible progress. Nevertheless, some staff engage children in small groups. For example, toddlers enjoy using play dough.

Staff involve them in discussions and encourage them to share their ideas. Children talk about the toppings for their 'pizzas'. Staff encourage them to use single words and short sentences.

They also support children to share and take turns using tools.Staff in the baby room share books with children. They promote their communication and language through stories and songs.

Staff help babies to develop their physical skills using a slide and increase their core strength using rocking toys. Staff introduce early mathematics by counting with children. They say 'ready, steady, go', and show children how to count from one to five.

Staff use praise and encouragement to support children's confidence. They teach children to take turns and play cooperatively, such as rolling a ball to each other.Children with SEND demonstrate strong bonds with their key person.

They smile and laugh during positive interactions. Staff help them to communicate, understand daily routines and make choices by using visual aids. Staff model language throughout children's play.

As a result, children begin to use single words. They develop good social skills and play happily alongside other children. Staff plan children's transition into school well in partnership with other professionals to ensure that children have the support they need.

Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They comment that staff are kind, helpful and understanding. Parents say that staff are good at sharing care routines.

Staff make sure that parents know about any accidents or injuries and what first aid has been given.The provider is aware of some of the weaknesses in their practice and acts when these are identified. For instance, they now provide parents with ideas to support children's learning at home.

Staff are accessing behaviour management training to ensure that this is consistent across the nursery. However, the provider's evaluation is not robust enough to ensure that all areas for improvement are identified. As a result, staff professional development is not targeted well enough to ensure that they continually build on their skills and improve the quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure that there is a named deputy who, in their judgement, is capable and qualified to take charge in the manager's absence 28/04/2024 implement a well-planned and sequenced curriculum that takes into account children's interests and next steps in learning, and is designed to help children make the best possible progress 16/07/2024 ensure that all children benefit from positive interactions during their play and learning so that they are engaged, stimulated and motivated to learn more 16/07/2024 ensure that the learning environment for children in the pre-school and toddler rooms is organised and suitably equipped so that children have access to resources that interest them, ignite their curiosity and enthusiasm, and motivate them to explore and lead their own play and learning 16/07/2024 strengthen the evaluation of practice to ensure that all areas for improvement are identified, and take prompt and effective action to ensure that the legal requirements are always met and the quality of education for children continually improves.

16/07/2024

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