Milestones Day Nursery

Milestones Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2814544 Address: Unit B, Highwater House, Central Road, Langley Square, Dartford, DA1 5XW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/11/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Milestones Day Nursery Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff build warm, positive relationships with children. They set clear expectations for children's behaviour and manage routines consistently. Consequently, children follow the well-established routines and understand the rules and boundaries at the setting. Staff are positive role models who support children to learn to share and take turns. Staff offer lots of praise and reassurance, which helps to build children's self-esteem. Children feel safe and secure to explore and engage in learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children engage positively with their friends, developing a sense of belonging. Children happily join in with activities, showing increasing independence and willingness to have a go and explore. They share their achievements, ask questions and show an interest in each other's ideas. For example, children try out different ways to connect objects and celebrate their successes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff monitor children's attendance carefully. They work in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure children's regular attendance. This helps to support children's early education.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff establish positive relationships with children. They are kind, caring and interact well with children as they play and during routine activities, helping children to express their emotions and how they are feeling. This builds children's confidence and sense of emotional wellbeing. Children build on their independence skills as they access a range of activities accessible to them. Staff provide meaningful opportunities to teach children how to keep themselves safe. Children have regular opportunities to spend time outdoors and go on outings in the local community. During these experiences, staff help children to learn about road safety and take safe and controlled risks that strengthen their physical skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff work in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure that routines from home are followed as closely as possible, such as sleep times. Leaders and staff follow safer sleeping procedures to make sure that children are monitored well as they sleep. Children benefit from opportunities that help them to recognise the importance of oral health. For

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Needs attention

example, staff teach children about making healthy choices and they provide children with healthy, nutritious snacks and meals.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All children feel welcomed and valued at this setting. Leaders and staff take time to get to know each child and their families well. They offer a gradual and flexible settling-in process that meets children's individual care needs. Staff work closely with parents and carers to gather detailed information about children's personal backgrounds, interests and needs. This helps staff to identify any gaps in children's learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) from the start.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders take a proactive approach to staff training, ensuring that staff responsible for supporting children with SEND understand their roles and provide targeted support that meets children's needs. They work closely with other professionals involved in children's care and development to provide a consistent approach to support children to achieve their goals. Additional funding is used effectively to extend opportunities and experiences for children with SEND and those who face barriers to their learning. For example, they provide resources that help to engage children in learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote a culture of diversity and inclusion across the setting. Children explore a range of religious and cultural celebrations. This helps children to learn about their own uniqueness and develop an understanding of others. Parents consistently highlight the supportive and nurturing culture of the setting. They share how staff quickly get to know children and identify any additional support they may need in their learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

Overall, children make progress from their starting points and, on the whole, develop skills they need for the next stage in their development. However, the inconsistencies in the curriculum and teaching do not always provide children with experiences to help them to continue to build on what they already know successfully.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children take part in activities with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn. For example, during large-group activities, children excitedly cheer on their friends to have a go. Staff support children to learn new words to add to their growing vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff provide activities based on children's interests and to help them develop skills ready to move on to school. However, the setting's curriculum is not well planned or sequenced to ensure that all children achieve and make the progress they are capable of. Children do not consistently receive the support they need to help them to continue to move on to the next stage in their learning successfully. For instance, some activities are too difficult for certain children, and staff do not consistently adapt activities to support all children's needs. For example, the learning intention for a mathematics activity does not build on children's existing knowledge. As a result, children do not benefit from the intended learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff know children well, assess their development and talk confidently about children's interests and what they can do. Overall, staff engage and interact with children well as they play. For example, children who show an interest in construction play enjoy using different tools. However, staff do not consistently offer explanations or ask effective questions to support children's thinking skills and their own ideas. Consequently, children's learning is not fully maximised. Despite this, staff use repetitive words and introduce new language to children through their play. This helps to build children's vocabulary. Staff understand the value of outdoor play experiences. They plan daily opportunities for children to build their core strength and practise their balance and coordination.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have a clear vision for the setting and aim to provide high-quality experiences for children. They work alongside staff to help model expected practice. Despite this, the quality of education for all children is variable. Leaders know what they want children to learn during their time at the setting. However, they have not ensured that the curriculum is well sequenced to help all children reach their full potential. Activities are not consistently planned and implemented to support children's current ages and stages of development. For example, staff offer some children learning that is beyond or below their current abilities. This does not support children to make consistent progress. Leaders are committed to supporting staff's wellbeing and professional development, and they are passionate about the work they do. Staff speak positively about the support they receive and the opportunities

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy and content at this setting. They are greeted warmly by staff and settle extremely well. Staff take time to get to know children and their families well. Consequently, all children, including those who have recently started to attend, form close bonds with their key person. Staff offer comforting cuddles and reassurance when children and babies become upset. This helps to foster trusting relationships between children and staff. Children feel safe and secure, which is shown in their confidence when choosing their own activities. While children enjoy a wide range of experiences that support learning, the quality of education children receive is variable. Activities are not consistently planned and implemented well enough to fully support children's individual learning needs. As a result, children do not consistently make the progress they are capable of.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff create opportunities for children to take ownership of small tasks, which helps to build children's independence and confidence effectively. Consequently, children are eager to do things for themselves, such as tidying away resources when they have finished and taking care of their belongings. Children behave well and demonstrate kindness and respect for each other. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to promote regular attendance so that children can benefit fully from learning opportunities to support their early education.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Address:

Unit B Highwater House Central Road Langley Square Dartford DA1 5XW

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Milestones Day Nursery Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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