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A nursery inspected on the first day after the summer holidays has been deemed as "requiring improvement". Early Miles Nursery, which registered in 2024, was inspected by Ofsted on September 8.

The regulator said the inspection at the nursery in Ragworth Neighbourhood Centre in Stockton was carried out as a result of a risk assessment. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management were all judged as requiring improvement.

Director of the nursery Roopali Gopal said they were working closely with Stockton Council and training of staff was being "tightened". She explained the visit occurred on the first day back for many youngsters after the summer holidays and they were not yet in a routine.

A new member of staff was also being inducted that day. "We had a manager stepping up that day and lots of changes were happening when the inspector came unannounced," she said.

"There was a lot going on. It was the first day for many children. In fact it was a less than a year old nursery that we had started here so I believe it was too early for an inspection to happen because were still building the new brand up."

What concerns were there?

The report said there were weaknesses in relation to the learning and development requirements that had not been identified by leaders. The inspector said: "Staff are not given enough support to ensure that their interactions with children are consistently in line with their developmental needs.

"Weaknesses in differentiation mean the curriculum does not consistently meet the wide range of ages and developmental stages of children who are together in one room. Further attention is required to ensure that the curriculum progression is well planned and explicitly clear, in order to provide the right level of challenge for all children.

"Although the curriculum is ambitious in its aims, and there is evidence that children do make progress, leaders have not considered how to build children's knowledge and understanding gradually, to reach the intended long-term learning outcomes."

What does the nursery do well?

The report said there is a "warm and welcoming atmosphere" in the nursery and staff are " attentive and nurturing" which helps children feel safe and happy. There were no safeguarding concerns reported by the regulator.

There is evidence children do make progress, said the inspector, and for the "most part" behaviour is calm and purposeful. "During interactions with children, staff position themselves at child height and show a genuine interest in their play," said the report.

"They listen to children's ideas and offer warm praise. This supports children's confidence. Assessments identify relevant next steps for children."

Going forwards Ofsted recommended the curriculum is reviewed "to ensure it is clearly sequenced and fully meets the developmental needs of all learners."

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