The Milky Way Day Nursery

A converted three-storey house, a baby garden and a sensory room give The Milky Way Day Nursery a recognisable character. At 68 Corporation Road in Leicester, it has capacity for 31 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. Its smaller overall scale sits alongside separate spaces for babies and preschool children, rather than one shared room for every stage.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. Improvement priorities covered baby mealtimes, shared reading and preschool number activities: practical issues about children's participation and learning.

The strongest current features are concrete. Babies have the Rocket Room and their own outdoor access; older children use the Stars Floor, with spaces for books, imaginative play and messy activities. Parents receive observations and photographs through an app, with termly evenings for discussing progress. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings provide different attendance options.

Rooms and Ages

The Rocket Room serves children under two, combining an open indoor space with a free-flow baby garden and a sensory room using lighting and special effects. That gives the youngest children different settings for exploration, with outdoor play attached to their own unit rather than confined to the main garden.

On the Stars Floor, preschool children have three rooms containing areas for role play, books and messy play, alongside a playroom and a large garden. The arrangement gives different kinds of activity their own space. The designated areas provide space for imaginative games, books and practical exploration.

The shared garden serves babies, toddlers and preschool children. A mud kitchen, play houses and areas for digging in sand and mud add physical, hands-on experiences to the indoor offer. Children also grow fruit and vegetables in their own growing area, and the nursery chef uses that produce in meals. There is a tangible connection between growing something and eating it.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning, development and care, with play used to develop language, physical skills, relationships and early understanding of reading and number. This is the common framework for early years provision. Here, planning starts from children's interests and individual development, so the intended experience is responsive to the child rather than identical for everyone.

The Milky Way Curriculum describes that interest-led planning alongside the EYFS. Its practical emphasis is on experiences that are achievable while still stretching children's learning. Preschool activities also include languages and yoga, while tablets, computers, laptops and voice recognition systems introduce different ways of using technology. These sit alongside books, messy play and outdoor activity, rather than defining the whole day.

In July 2023, children persisted with practical challenges such as putting dressing-up clothes onto hangers. Adults used questions and language modelling during play, while babies enjoyed games of peekaboo and heard words repeated clearly. These examples show how everyday interactions can create learning opportunities without needing a formal lesson.

The same visit identified weaknesses in how some activities were organised. In July 2023, preschool number work sometimes moved beyond children's existing understanding, leaving them unable to take part successfully. Shared reading after lunch in the Stars room also failed to involve every child. The improvement priorities were to build number learning in smaller steps and make the group reading experience more inclusive.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2023, outdoor play included babies exploring a water tray and older children riding scooters and trikes around a marked road. Adults helped children take turns with equipment. Those activities combined movement with the social task of sharing space and resources.

A July 2023 community walk to see a space rocket also gave children something real to talk about, with space-related vocabulary woven into the experience. Current links with local facilities, the community and schools support the nursery's transition work. The appeal is learning connected to children's surroundings as well as to what happens indoors.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person works with the family to tailor care, providing a point of contact about routines, interests and development.

Parents can access photographs, observations and an online learning journal through the nursery app. Termly parent evenings cover progress, next steps and ideas for activities at home with the key person. Staff also offer telephone callbacks during working hours.

In July 2023, staff used parents' information about care needs, development and interests to inform children's support.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Two setting SENCOs work with outside agencies, and the nursery has relationships with the SEND support service. These are specific mechanisms for coordinating additional support. At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that sensitive staff responses and individualised support helped children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language make progress.

Food is homemade by the nursery chef on site, using locally sourced ingredients and some produce grown by the children; dietary catering includes vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free requirements, alongside allergies. For a child with dietary needs, the relevant detail is how that catering is put into practice for their meals.

Baby mealtimes deserve attention alongside the menu. In July 2023, these routines did not make enough use of opportunities for social interaction and communication. Better organisation was an improvement priority.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-day bookings run from 7.45am to 5.45pm. Morning sessions are from 8am to 1pm, while afternoons run from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. A full-week option covers Monday to Friday with the same hours as a full day. The shorter sessions therefore have their own timings, including a gap between the morning and afternoon patterns.

Opening hours are 7.45am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 0116 224 3584, with the nursery based at 68 Corporation Road, Leicester, LE4 5PW.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered through the 15 and 30 hour schemes, subject to the child's age and family eligibility. Where required, parents must obtain and maintain a valid funding code. Funding is stretched across 48 weeks, applying 12 or 24 funded hours to sessions each week according to eligibility. The weekly funded allocation matters when matching a booking pattern to the family's entitlement.

For non-funded bookings, snacks, drinks and meals are included in full-day and full-week fees; morning sessions include a snack, drink and hot lunch, while afternoons include a snack, drink and tea. For funded-only attendance, lunch and tea carry optional separate charges.

Fees are payable across 52 weeks, including holidays and bank holidays, and payment is monthly in advance. Additional private hours are charged separately, and a non-refundable deposit secures a booking. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Participation in learning. July 2023 improvement priorities covered number activities and shared reading in the Stars room. On a visit, ask how staff adapt these activities so children with different starting points can participate.
• Baby mealtimes. In July 2023, meal routines needed more opportunities for conversation and social interaction. Ask how the Rocket Room now organises meals and adult attention during them.
• Funding and the yearly bill. Funding is spread over 48 weeks, while fees are payable over 52 weeks and funded-only lunch and tea have optional charges. Compare the written quotation with the session pattern you intend to book.
• Individual care arrangements. The nursery caters for allergies and dietary requirements and uses a key person system. Confirm current allergy practice where relevant, and ask how settling-in will be planned around your child's routines.

The Milky Way Day Nursery suits families choosing between full-day care and shorter morning or afternoon sessions, with separate environments for babies and preschool children. The baby garden, sensory room and children's growing area give substance to its play-led offer. App updates and termly parent evenings also make communication a practical part of the arrangement.

Its July 2023 Good judgement is balanced by specific improvement priorities about participation and everyday routines. For parents, the strongest decision is one that weighs those questions alongside the room suited to their child, the booking pattern and the funded or private charge structure.