My Little Angels Day Nursery

Small scale is the defining feature at My Little Angels Day Nursery. This family-run Upminster setting has capacity for 29 children aged two to five, with an open-plan, home-style environment rather than a published roster of separate age rooms. Ofsted judged it Good in November 2022, when children were described as happy, secure and confident with staff they knew well.

The strongest branch-specific thread is outdoor learning. Weekly Forest School sessions take place in Bonnet’s Woods behind the nursery, while a wider programme includes local walks, a summer farm visit for toddlers and a London transport adventure. Full-time and part-time childcare are offered across the working week.

The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage. In practice, this means play and guided activities build communication, physical development, friendships, independence, early literacy and mathematics, understanding of the world and creative expression. Children can choose activities and guide their own play, while practitioners observe progress and plan around interests and next steps.

Forest School gives that approach a recognisable outdoor setting. Weekly sessions in Bonnet’s Woods can include den building, minibeast hunts, natural art, simple tool use and teamwork. The nursery also publishes regular local walks to the park, library and shops. Larger outings are specific: the toddler group visits Old MacDonald’s Farm annually, preschool children attend a Christmas pantomime each winter, and the London transport trip uses the Emirates Cable Cars, a Thames Clipper and the DLR.

Children developed independence, physical confidence and creativity through varied indoor and outdoor play. Staff also strengthened language through conversation and shared books. The curriculum priorities were stronger links between planned activities and children's next steps, more mathematical opportunities and broader learning about cultures.

Warm relationships were a clear inspection strength. Children sought staff for reassurance, played confidently with friends and showed high self-esteem. Staff learned what children knew and could do, shared progress with parents and used children's interests when planning. The nursery's current key-person approach also aims to align care routines with each child's experience at home.

Support for additional needs is structured around an observe, assess, plan and review cycle. Everyday adjustments come first; if further help is needed, the key person works with the SENCO and family. In November 2022, Ofsted found children with SEND particularly well supported through work with parents and external agencies.

ELSA support adds targeted help for experiences such as bereavement, moving home, a new sibling or parental separation. Relax Kids Sessions bring in a visiting practitioner to work on self-regulation and understanding emotions. These are practical additions, not vague wellbeing labels.

Food is prepared from scratch by an in-house cook using fresh ingredients, with no premade meals or jar sauces. The nursery creates personalised menus for allergies, intolerances and preferences, including dairy-free, gluten-free, halal and vegan diets. Families affected by allergies should discuss the current plan during a visit.

Sessions and Attendance

My Little Angels is at Gardeners Corner, Aveley Road, Upminster, RM14 2TN. It opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 6pm and closes at weekends and on bank holidays. The branch offers full-time and part-time childcare; families should use the contact form or telephone enquiry route to discuss the pattern they need and receive a current written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery publishes funded childcare for eligible two-year-olds and universal and working-parent entitlements for three- and four-year-olds. It can stretch funded hours across 51 weeks rather than using only the 38-week term-time model. Eligibility remains subject to government rules, and families should ask for the nursery's current breakdown of funded hours, meals, consumables and any extras before agreeing a place.

Food and Location

Meals are cooked on site, and children can take part in food preparation. An earlier branch page also describes regular visits to the neighbouring Bloom and Veg Farm for fresh fruit and vegetables and to see how produce grows. The website gives a contact form, telephone number and email route for arranging a tour.

• Open-plan organisation. The nursery describes a home-style, open-plan environment rather than named rooms. Families who prefer tightly separated age rooms should see how two- to five-year-olds use the space during a visit.
• Curriculum priorities. The three curriculum priorities recorded in November 2022 were stronger links between planned activities and children's next steps, better access to mathematical learning and more opportunities to explore cultures. Ask how these areas are now addressed in everyday play.
• Attendance and charges. Full-time and part-time care are published, but the exact part-time patterns and the treatment of meals, consumables and extras need to be clear in the nursery's written quotation.
• Outdoor emphasis. Weekly Forest School and trips are a substantial part of the offer. Families should discuss clothing, permissions and how activities adapt to an individual child's needs.

My Little Angels suits families looking for a small, family-run setting where outdoor learning is part of the weekly rhythm rather than an occasional extra. Bonnet’s Woods Forest School, ELSA support, Relax Kids Sessions and unusually concrete outings give the provision character, while secure relationships and capable language teaching strengthen the educational picture.

The trade-off is the open-plan organisation across ages and the specific curriculum priorities recorded in November 2022. For families seeking either full-time care or a part-time pattern, the best fit will be those who value an open-plan environment, regular outdoor experiences and individual emotional support.