← Ofsted Nursery Tracker

Milestones Day Nursery

URN 2814544 · Inspected 2026-09-29 · Published 2026-10-26 · Inspector: Jennie O'Callaghan

Safeguarding met Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care source PDF ↗ provider page on ofsted.gov.uk ↗

Grades by area

Achievement

Expected standard
Overall, children make positive progress from their starting points. There is a focus on communication and language so that children develop into confident communicators. Children enjoy talking to adults and singing songs. They play group games where they have to listen carefully to instructions and demonstrate their understanding. For example, younger children point to the correct body part while singing action songs. Older children work together to roll a ball around a parachute without it falling off. Children love to use their physical skills. They are excited to take a daily walk to a local park. Children balance, climb and run. They laugh and giggle while they play a game of catch with their friends and enjoy time out in the fresh air. Children grow increasingly independent as they tidy up, put their shoes on and wash their own hands. They are suitably prepared for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines

Expected standard
Overall, children behave well. Staff act as positive role models and children respond to the instructions given. Daily routines are consistent and familiar for children across all rooms. Children build positive relationships with staff, which helps them to feel secure, settled and confident. As children arrive, they are registered electronically. This helps leaders to follow up on absences and track patterns over time. Parents and carers receive support with flexible sessions so they can use their full funding entitlement. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. This helps families and children to build positive habits in preparation to start school. Typically, staff manage changes to routines or activities well. They are quick to notice when children are becoming irritable if there is a delay, such as while waiting for other groups to join them on a walk. Staff respond by engaging them in singing songs and discussing what they are going to do. This helps children to focus while they are waiting. Staff use inclusive approaches to support children's behaviour and engagement. They use visual prompts alongside calm and consistent guidance. For example, when children throw toys, they try to redirect them into a more positive game. Staff support children to be kind to one another in age-appropriate ways.

Children's welfare and wellbeing

Expected standard
Leaders and staff create safe and welcoming environments for children and their families. Children form secure attachments with staff, who typically respond sensitively to their needs. Staff are quick to offer a cuddle when children need reassurance and comfort. Younger children nestle into staff when they tire and settle for their naps with ease. Staff gently rub their backs until they are asleep. This helps children to rest after a busy morning of playing and maintains their home routine. Leaders provide children with a variety of healthy snacks and meals that meet dietary needs and cultural preferences. Fruit and vegetables are on offer daily. Generally, staff help children to understand the importance and impact of food and drink on their bodies. For example, they explain to children that vegetables help them to grow. Leaders are aware of the need to promote oral hygiene. They invite external professionals into the setting so that children learn about brushing their teeth twice a day. Children take walks every day in the local community. Overall, leaders consider routines and attendance patterns carefully so that all children can spend time in the park. This has a positive impact on children's wellbeing as they play in the fresh air.

Curriculum and teaching

Expected standard
Leaders have worked diligently since the previous inspection to address concerns about the delivery of the curriculum for children. They have implemented positive changes to sequence children's learning throughout the nursery. There is a shared theme, while staff working with children have the creativity to implement it in a way that meets individual needs. For example, babies practise picking up puzzle pieces with pegs while they learn the names of animals. Older children use pipettes and small sponges to paint with. Children talk about the colours that they can see as they mix the paint. This develops children's fine motor skills from the start. Children are well prepared to be able to hold a pencil and make marks with growing accuracy. Leaders reflect that they are still embedding and supporting staff with their practice. There has been a positive impact on the quality of interactions that children receive. Staff take time to speak to children and ask age-appropriate questions to spark conversations. They follow children's interests to engage them in activities. For example, staff blow bubbles to babies, who giggle with delight as they pop them. While children listen to stories throughout the day, there is a limited number of books available for children to access independently. This does not inspire children to develop a love of books from a young age.

Inclusion

Expected standard
When children start, staff take time to get to know each child and their families well. They make positive use of their observations to identify what children can do and what they need to learn next. This means that staff can identify if children have any gaps in their learning. Staff then offer specific support and help for each child. For instance, when children struggle to feed themselves using a fork, staff plan activities to develop the strength in their hands so they learn to use cutlery with confidence. Staff share information with leaders and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators, who aim to spend time with children who need further support. However, the way leaders deploy staff and children's specific attendance patterns hinder the amount of time spent with children who need help. Leaders are reviewing how interventions are offered to fully support children as soon as they need them. When children need support from external professionals, staff work in partnership with parents and carers. They signpost them to additional services, for example speech and language. Leaders help families to complete requests for education, health and care plans so that they can get the specialised support to close gaps in their children's learning.

Leadership and governance

Expected standard
Leaders provide a clear vision for the setting. There is a focus on delivering a sequenced curriculum and shared environment so children develop independence and confidence. Since the last inspection, they have implemented a range of changes to enhance the provision and staff practice. Leaders have supported staff to help deepen their understanding of the curriculum. These changes mean staff have a clearer understanding of how to deliver learning to meet individual needs. This helps children to make positive progress across the setting. Leaders are reflective and show a commitment to sustained improvement. They are aware of the setting's strengths and what they need to continue to improve. For example, leaders plan to introduce more opportunities for children to enhance their physical development skills. Leaders maintain a visible presence in all rooms in the nursery. They provide day-to-day guidance and informal support to staff. For example, leaders check in on staff wellbeing and help those who are studying towards childcare qualifications. Staff feed back that they are happy and enjoy working in the setting. However, they do not have focused time with leaders to discuss what areas of their practice they need to develop further. This means that, at times, leaders do not know what training to offer staff based on their needs and how best to support children. Overall, feedback from parents and carers is positive. They say that staff are friendly and approachable. Parents praise the close attachments that staff build with children and feel reassured that they are happy and safe.

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

When children arrive, they are warmly greeted by the friendly staff team. Children take off their shoes and spend time with their friends at the beginning of the day. They take part in dancing and singing before going into their individual rooms. This helps to build friendships and a sense of belonging. Children develop secure attachments with staff, who respond with kindness. Before children start, staff find out about their care routines and any specific needs. They aim to keep routines such as meals and naps consistent with what children receive at home. This helps them to feel safe and settle with ease. Staff follow children's interests when planning group activities. For example, when children enjoy sensory play, staff have these ready so the children are excited to learn and explore. Children's home cultures are valued by leaders and staff. Parents and carers are encouraged to share the languages that they speak and the customs they celebrate. Leaders use the diverse culture of staff who work in the nursery and speak many different languages. This helps to support effective communication with children from the start. As children begin to communicate, staff use picture cards alongside words in their home languages and English. This helps children to feel valued and welcome while they learn new words and develop their language skills. Children benefit from a curriculum that is sequenced throughout the nursery. For example, the theme and the book of the week remain consistent for all children. This means that as children move between different spaces during the day, the environment is familiar to them. Children have their own space to store their belongings and display their artwork. This helps them to feel a sense of belonging.

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff are deployed most effectively so that they can fully support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders should review and enhance the curriculum for literacy so that children develop a love of books and storytelling from a young age. Leaders should enhance focused supervision sessions and reflection to support all staff to evaluate their teaching skills and professional development.

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and carers during the 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.

About this setting

URN
2814544
Address
Unit B Highwater House Central Road Langley Square Dartford DA1 5XW
Type
Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Registration date
05/11/2024
Registered person
Milestones Day Nursery Limited
Register(s)
EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00
Local authority
Kent

Facts and figures

Age range at inspection
1 to 8
Total places
65

Data from 29 September 2026

Raw extracted PDF text 
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
Inspection report: 29 September 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Overall, children make positive progress from their starting points. There is a focus on
communication and language so that children develop into confident communicators.
Children enjoy talking to adults and singing songs. They play group games where they have
to listen carefully to instructions and demonstrate their understanding. For example, younger
children point to the correct body part while singing action songs. Older children work
together to roll a ball around a parachute without it falling off.
Children love to use their physical skills. They are excited to take a daily walk to a local park.
Children balance, climb and run. They laugh and giggle while they play a game of catch with
their friends and enjoy time out in the fresh air. Children grow increasingly independent as
they tidy up, put their shoes on and wash their own hands. They are suitably prepared for
the next stage in their learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Overall, children behave well. Staff act as positive role models and children respond to the
instructions given. Daily routines are consistent and familiar for children across all rooms.
Children build positive relationships with staff, which helps them to feel secure, settled and
confident. As children arrive, they are registered electronically. This helps leaders to follow
up on absences and track patterns over time. Parents and carers receive support with
flexible sessions so they can use their full funding entitlement. Leaders promote the
importance of regular attendance and punctuality. This helps families and children to build
positive habits in preparation to start school.
Typically, staff manage changes to routines or activities well. They are quick to notice when
children are becoming irritable if there is a delay, such as while waiting for other groups to
join them on a walk. Staff respond by engaging them in singing songs and discussing what
they are going to do. This helps children to focus while they are waiting. Staff use inclusive
approaches to support children's behaviour and engagement. They use visual prompts
alongside calm and consistent guidance. For example, when children throw toys, they try to
redirect them into a more positive game. Staff support children to be kind to one another in
age-appropriate ways.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff create safe and welcoming environments for children and their families.
Children form secure attachments with staff, who typically respond sensitively to their needs.
Staff are quick to offer a cuddle when children need reassurance and comfort. Younger
children nestle into staff when they tire and settle for their naps with ease. Staff gently rub
their backs until they are asleep. This helps children to rest after a busy morning of playing
and maintains their home routine.

Leaders provide children with a variety of healthy snacks and meals that meet dietary needs
and cultural preferences. Fruit and vegetables are on offer daily. Generally, staff help
children to understand the importance and impact of food and drink on their bodies. For
example, they explain to children that vegetables help them to grow. Leaders are aware of
the need to promote oral hygiene. They invite external professionals into the setting so that
children learn about brushing their teeth twice a day. Children take walks every day in the
local community. Overall, leaders consider routines and attendance patterns carefully so
that all children can spend time in the park. This has a positive impact on children's
wellbeing as they play in the fresh air.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have worked diligently since the previous inspection to address concerns about the
delivery of the curriculum for children. They have implemented positive changes to
sequence children's learning throughout the nursery. There is a shared theme, while staff
working with children have the creativity to implement it in a way that meets individual
needs. For example, babies practise picking up puzzle pieces with pegs while they learn the
names of animals. Older children use pipettes and small sponges to paint with. Children talk
about the colours that they can see as they mix the paint. This develops children's fine
motor skills from the start. Children are well prepared to be able to hold a pencil and make
marks with growing accuracy.
Leaders reflect that they are still embedding and supporting staff with their practice. There
has been a positive impact on the quality of interactions that children receive. Staff take time
to speak to children and ask age-appropriate questions to spark conversations. They follow
children's interests to engage them in activities. For example, staff blow bubbles to babies,
who giggle with delight as they pop them. While children listen to stories throughout the day,
there is a limited number of books available for children to access independently. This does
not inspire children to develop a love of books from a young age.
Inclusion Expected standard
When children start, staff take time to get to know each child and their families well. They
make positive use of their observations to identify what children can do and what they need
to learn next. This means that staff can identify if children have any gaps in their learning.
Staff then offer specific support and help for each child. For instance, when children struggle
to feed themselves using a fork, staff plan activities to develop the strength in their hands so
they learn to use cutlery with confidence.
Staff share information with leaders and the special educational needs and/or disabilities
coordinators, who aim to spend time with children who need further support. However, the
way leaders deploy staff and children's specific attendance patterns hinder the amount of
time spent with children who need help. Leaders are reviewing how interventions are offered
to fully support children as soon as they need them. When children need support from
external professionals, staff work in partnership with parents and carers. They signpost them
to additional services, for example speech and language. Leaders help families to complete

requests for education, health and care plans so that they can get the specialised support to
close gaps in their children's learning.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders provide a clear vision for the setting. There is a focus on delivering a sequenced
curriculum and shared environment so children develop independence and confidence.
Since the last inspection, they have implemented a range of changes to enhance the
provision and staff practice. Leaders have supported staff to help deepen their
understanding of the curriculum. These changes mean staff have a clearer understanding of
how to deliver learning to meet individual needs. This helps children to make positive
progress across the setting. Leaders are reflective and show a commitment to sustained
improvement. They are aware of the setting's strengths and what they need to continue to
improve. For example, leaders plan to introduce more opportunities for children to enhance
their physical development skills.
Leaders maintain a visible presence in all rooms in the nursery. They provide day-to-day
guidance and informal support to staff. For example, leaders check in on staff wellbeing and
help those who are studying towards childcare qualifications. Staff feed back that they are
happy and enjoy working in the setting. However, they do not have focused time with
leaders to discuss what areas of their practice they need to develop further. This means
that, at times, leaders do not know what training to offer staff based on their needs and how
best to support children.
Overall, feedback from parents and carers is positive. They say that staff are friendly and
approachable. Parents praise the close attachments that staff build with children and feel
reassured that they are happy and safe.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
When children arrive, they are warmly greeted by the friendly staff team. Children take off
their shoes and spend time with their friends at the beginning of the day. They take part in
dancing and singing before going into their individual rooms. This helps to build friendships
and a sense of belonging. Children develop secure attachments with staff, who respond with
kindness. Before children start, staff find out about their care routines and any specific
needs. They aim to keep routines such as meals and naps consistent with what children
receive at home. This helps them to feel safe and settle with ease. Staff follow children's
interests when planning group activities. For example, when children enjoy sensory play,
staff have these ready so the children are excited to learn and explore.
Children's home cultures are valued by leaders and staff. Parents and carers are
encouraged to share the languages that they speak and the customs they celebrate.
Leaders use the diverse culture of staff who work in the nursery and speak many different
languages. This helps to support effective communication with children from the start. As
children begin to communicate, staff use picture cards alongside words in their home
languages and English. This helps children to feel valued and welcome while they learn new
words and develop their language skills.
Children benefit from a curriculum that is sequenced throughout the nursery. For example,
the theme and the book of the week remain consistent for all children. This means that as
children move between different spaces during the day, the environment is familiar to them.
Children have their own space to store their belongings and display their artwork. This helps
them to feel a sense of belonging.

Inspector:
Jennie O'Callaghan
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2814544
Address:
Unit B
Highwater House
Central Road
Langley Square
Dartford
DA1 5XW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 05/11/2024
Registered person: Milestones Day Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Next steps
Leaders should ensure that staff are deployed most effectively so that they can fully
support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Leaders should review and enhance the curriculum for literacy so that children develop a
love of books and storytelling from a young age.
Leaders should enhance focused supervision sessions and reflection to support all staff to
evaluate their teaching skills and professional development.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents
and carers during the 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.

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Kent
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 29 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 8
Total number of places
65
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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