Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited

Grades by area

Leadership and governance

Strong standard

Recent changes to the leadership of the nursery have contributed significantly to the wellbeing and progress children make. For example, as staff helped design the new curriculum, they clearly understand and implement it, very well. Staff express overwhelming praise for their leadership team. They feel incredibly supported in their roles with regular supervisions and workload is manageable. They express how training opportunities, such as recent training on autism awareness and communication and language, helps them feel confident in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those known (or previously known) to children's social care to thrive. Parents express children are making significant progress in their learning and development, particularly their communication and language development. Since the last inspection, leaders have taken substantial action to ensure that ongoing discussions with parents and, where appropriate, health professionals to develop allergy plans for managing those children with any known allergies and intolerances. Staff are following robust risk assessments to ensue children's safety and welfare needs are continuously met. Monitoring of staff's performance is effective, and staff look forward to feedback on how they can improve their personal effectiveness. Leaders identify areas for improvement. For example, funding and plans have been put into place to enhance the outdoor learning environments.

Achievement

Expected standard

Children generally make secure progress through the curriculum from their starting points. They become increasingly confident in their abilities, and develop the essential knowledge and skills needed for their future learning and development. For example, children relish having a go at pouring their own drinks. They are achieving these personal care skills with perseverance and a determination to succeed. This supports them in preparation for school. Children are very proud of their achievements and delight in showing visitors their artwork and play dough creations. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language development. For example, all children develop their attention and listening skills as they have opportunities to enjoy small communication group sessions. Additionally, staff use Makaton sign language alongside verbal communications to ensure all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing communicate effectively.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines

Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard with staff to review and improve mealtime routines. They are now well organised, and repetitive. Children enjoy sociable mealtimes that can help them develop independence for when they start school. For example, staff model Makaton sign language, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Babies copy these signs and staff praise their efforts. This helps children form an early age, or those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, to learn good table manners. Leaders and children's key person work strategically with parents and carers to boost attendance and promote children's overall wellbeing learning and development. For instance, leaders seek ongoing advice and undertake specific training from parents and external professionals, to safely administer medication for children, including those with complex medical needs. Throughout the nursery, children play cooperatively and make close friendships. Children swiftly develop secure attachments to their key person with secure settling-in processes. Staff typically demonstrate high expectations for children's behaviour and promote 'golden rules', such as walking feet indoors. However, occasionally, there are some inconsistencies in how staff help older children maintain these expectations of the nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing

Expected standard

During times, when children experience periods of overwhelm, staff encourage them to access the calming sensory room. Some children need to let of steam which they can do by climbing on the soft play equipment. This helps all children including those with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, learn to self-regulate their emotions in ways that meet their individual needs. The effective key-person system ensures babies and children build trusting attachments to friendly staff. For example, parents build a rapport with staff and share their babies' routines followed at home, such as feeding and weaning. Staff meticulously follow daily risk assessments, to ensure children with special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies and intolerances, have their care needs met. Children develop good hygiene routines to assure their health and wellbeing. When older children sit down before washing hands to eat, fun-loving staff ask them in a jovial way, what they need to do before eating. Children giggle and say how they forget to wash their hands. They delight as staff praise them for recalling and then implementing this self-care routine successfully.

Curriculum and teaching

Expected standard

Recent reforms to the nursery curriculum are highly successful. Prioritisation is given to children's physical, personal, social and emotional development, and teaching mathematics in fun ways. Leaders and staff, alongside valuable input from the local authority early years advisor, have designed a curriculum that meets all the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. Staff's involvement in the curriculum design ensures that they fully understand it and successfully implement it. For example, staff consistently use assessments of children's progress to plan stimulating, daily activities, to help them achieve their next steps. All children make excellent progress in their language and communication development. Thorough assessment processes are in place and staff work with parents and outside professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures all children make ongoing progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. However, staff do not always adapt resources well enough, to meet the interests of all children consistently. For example, when children show a keenness to practice writing their name, staff do not ensure mark making resources are available to them. This can limit the progress some children make in developing early writing skills.

Inclusion

Expected standard

Leaders and staff always work collaboratively with parents from the start. Highly effective settling-in processes means parents can share their unique information about their child. This includes any external professionals that be already working alongside them, to support their children. This means leaders and staff can provide individual support to children from the beginning. They closely monitor children's progress and review support accordingly. Staff receive excellent training to help them identify any gaps in children' s learning and ensure appropriate support is swiftly sought. Parents are invited to have their say on how early years pupil premium funding is spent for their child. For example, children who find social communication difficult, benefit from money spent on dance classes, specifically delivered by professionals. They learn to sing and dance and share ideas with their peers and adult, which help develop their communication and vocabulary skills, in fun, creative and inclusive ways. This ensures all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are receiving support that is best suited to help them make the best possible progress.

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

A well-established key-person system and gradual settling-in processes, ensures babies and children swiftly develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. Before children start, parent and carers are invited to share their children's existing, daily routines, such as sleeping and eating patterns. This helps all children settle smoothly and feel extremely safe in their new environments, as staff follow routines familiar to them. Staff are consistently attentive and respond quickly to the differing needs of children. For example, when staff notice subtle changes in babies body language, they immediately offer appropriate comfort to reassure them. This ensures babies develop feelings of self-worth and build confidence. This highly promotes their emotional and mental wellbeing. Babies and children love the endless choice of stimulating play experiences and continuous access to outdoor play. They flourish and develop healthy lifestyles, perseverance and resilience in nature. Staff teach children how to risk access environments independently. This means children can test their physical limits safely. Children demonstrate this when they instinctively put on their safety helmet before riding on balance bikes. Staff praise their considerations towards their safety. This helps prepare children for their next steps, such as travelling to and from school safely. Leaders and staff have recently created a well-designed curriculum. It is very clear, high-quality and adaptive to meet children's individual needs. For example, when required, children benefit greatly from the tailored, ongoing support that is put in place for them. This includes visual prompts, such as pictures, objects and Makaton sign language, to help those children who find communication difficult. This ensures all children make very secure progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

Next steps

Leaders should strengthen teaching to ensure staff utilise available resources more effectively, in response to children's interests, to help them make even more progress in all areas of learning Leaders should ensure staff consistently support all children to understand the positive behaviours expected of them and how their behaviours can affect others.

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, SENCo, parents and children 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: 2782795
Address: Mayes Lane Ramsey, Harwich Essex CO12 5EL
Type: Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Registration date: 28/03/2024
Registered person: Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Essex

Facts and figures

Age range at inspection: 0 to 5
Total places: 50

Data from 2 April 2026

Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited Unique reference number (URN): 2782795 Address: Mayes Lane, Ramsey, Harwich, Essex, CO12 5EL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 28/03/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited Inspection report: 2 April 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. Strong standard Expected standard Leadership and governance Strong standard Recent changes to the leadership of the nursery have contributed significantly to the wellbeing and progress children make. For example, as staff helped design the new curriculum, they clearly understand and implement it, very well. Staff express overwhelming praise for their leadership team. They feel incredibly supported in their roles with regular supervisions and workload is manageable. They express how training opportunities, such as recent training on autism awareness and communication and language, helps them feel confident in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those known (or previously known) to children's social care to thrive. Parents express children are making significant progress in their learning and development, particularly their communication and language development. Since the last inspection, leaders have taken substantial action to ensure that ongoing discussions with parents and, where appropriate, health professionals to develop allergy plans for managing those children with any known allergies and intolerances. Staff are following robust risk assessments to ensue children's safety and welfare needs are continuously met. Monitoring of staff's performance is effective, and staff look forward to feedback on how they can improve their personal effectiveness. Leaders identify areas for improvement. For example, funding and plans have been put into place to enhance the outdoor learning environments. Achievement Expected standard Children generally make secure progress through the curriculum from their starting points. They become increasingly confident in their abilities, and develop the essential knowledge and skills needed for their future learning and development. For example, children relish having a go at pouring their own drinks. They are achieving these personal care skills with perseverance and a determination to succeed. This supports them in preparation for school. Children are very proud of their achievements and delight in showing visitors their artwork and play dough creations. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language development. For example, all children develop their attention and listening skills as they have opportunities to enjoy small communication group sessions. Additionally, staff use Makaton sign language alongside verbal communications to ensure all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing communicate effectively. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders have worked hard with staff to review and improve mealtime routines. They are now well organised, and repetitive. Children enjoy sociable mealtimes that can help them develop independence for when they start school. For example, staff model Makaton sign language, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Babies copy these signs and staff praise their efforts. This helps children form an early age, or those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, to learn good table manners. Leaders and children's key person work strategically with parents and carers to boost attendance and promote children's overall wellbeing learning and development. For instance, leaders seek ongoing advice and undertake specific training from parents and external professionals, to safely administer medication for children, including those with complex medical needs. Throughout the nursery, children play cooperatively and make close friendships. Children swiftly develop secure attachments to their key person with secure settling-in processes. Staff typically demonstrate high expectations for children's behaviour and promote 'golden rules', such as walking feet indoors. However, occasionally, there are some inconsistencies in how staff help older children maintain these expectations of the nursery. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard During times, when children experience periods of overwhelm, staff encourage them to access the calming sensory room. Some children need to let of steam which they can do by climbing on the soft play equipment. This helps all children including those with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, learn to self- regulate their emotions in ways that meet their individual needs. The effective key-person system ensures babies and children build trusting attachments to friendly staff. For example, parents build a rapport with staff and share their babies' routines followed at home, such as feeding and weaning. Staff meticulously follow daily risk assessments, to ensure children with special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies and intolerances, have their care needs met. Children develop good hygiene routines to assure their health and wellbeing. When older children sit down before washing hands to eat, fun-loving staff ask them in a jovial way, what they need to do before eating. Children giggle and say how they forget to wash their hands. They delight as staff praise them for recalling and then implementing this self-care routine successfully. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Recent reforms to the nursery curriculum are highly successful. Prioritisation is given to children's physical, personal, social and emotional development, and teaching mathematics in fun ways. Leaders and staff, alongside valuable input from the local authority early years advisor, have designed a curriculum that meets all the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. Staff's involvement in the curriculum design ensures that they fully understand it and successfully implement it. For example, staff consistently use assessments of children's progress to plan stimulating, daily activities, to help them achieve their next steps. All children make excellent progress in their language and communication development. Thorough assessment processes are in place and staff work with parents and outside professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures all children make ongoing progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. However, staff do not always adapt resources well enough, to meet the interests of all children consistently. For example, when children show a keenness to practice writing their name, staff do not ensure mark making resources are available to them. This can limit the progress some children make in developing early writing skills. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders and staff always work collaboratively with parents from the start. Highly effective settling-in processes means parents can share their unique information about their child. This includes any external professionals that be already working alongside them, to support their children. This means leaders and staff can provide individual support to children from the beginning. They closely monitor children's progress and review support accordingly. Staff receive excellent training to help them identify any gaps in children' s learning and ensure appropriate support is swiftly sought. Parents are invited to have their say on how early years pupil premium funding is spent for their child. For example, children who find social communication difficult, benefit from money spent on dance classes, specifically delivered by professionals. They learn to sing and dance and share ideas with their peers and adult, which help develop their communication and vocabulary skills, in fun, creative and inclusive ways. This ensures all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are receiving support that is best suited to help them make the best possible progress. 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 A well-established key-person system and gradual settling-in processes, ensures babies and children swiftly develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. Before children start, parent and carers are invited to share their children's existing, daily routines, such as sleeping and eating patterns. This helps all children settle smoothly and feel extremely safe in their new environments, as staff follow routines familiar to them. Staff are consistently attentive and respond quickly to the differing needs of children. For example, when staff notice subtle changes in babies body language, they immediately offer appropriate comfort Inspector: Louisa Taylor About this setting to reassure them. This ensures babies develop feelings of self-worth and build confidence. This highly promotes their emotional and mental wellbeing. Babies and children love the endless choice of stimulating play experiences and continuous access to outdoor play. They flourish and develop healthy lifestyles, perseverance and resilience in nature. Staff teach children how to risk access environments independently. This means children can test their physical limits safely. Children demonstrate this when they instinctively put on their safety helmet before riding on balance bikes. Staff praise their considerations towards their safety. This helps prepare children for their next steps, such as travelling to and from school safely. Leaders and staff have recently created a well-designed curriculum. It is very clear, high- quality and adaptive to meet children's individual needs. For example, when required, children benefit greatly from the tailored, ongoing support that is put in place for them. This includes visual prompts, such as pictures, objects and Makaton sign language, to help those children who find communication difficult. This ensures all children make very secure progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those know (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Next steps Leaders should strengthen teaching to ensure staff utilise available resources more effectively, in response to children's interests, to help them make even more progress in all areas of learning Leaders should ensure staff consistently support all children to understand the positive behaviours expected of them and how their behaviours can affect others. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, SENCo, parents and children 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2782795 Address: Mayes Lane Ramsey, Harwich Essex CO12 5EL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 28/03/2024 Registered person: Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Essex Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 2 April 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 5 Total number of places 50 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted © Crown copyright 2026 © Crown copyright