My Little Angels Day Nursery

Bonnet’s Woods sits behind My Little Angels Day Nursery, giving its weekly Forest School sessions a natural setting close to home. Outdoor exploration and emotional support give this family-run Upminster nursery its character. Its open-plan environment serves children aged two to five, with 29 places in total.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today’s provision. The current offer combines woodland learning with an ELSA Programme, which helps children talk through difficult experiences, and visiting Relax Kids Sessions supporting emotional regulation.

Full-time and part-time childcare are offered. The practical appeal extends beyond attendance: an in-house cook prepares meals from scratch, while a key person works with families to connect care routines at nursery and home.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop language, movement, friendships, early number skills and creativity through play and guided activities. It is the shared foundation for early-years provision. Here, children’s interests help shape activities, and choosing their own play is an explicit part of the approach.

An open-plan layout gives the nursery a shared feel. Children are encouraged to investigate, ask questions and try out ideas, rather than simply complete a sequence of adult-directed tasks. That makes the balance between children’s choices and purposeful guidance an important part of understanding the day.

In November 2022, everyday activities included shaping dough, cutting pictures from catalogues and discussing stories with staff. These examples show learning through ordinary materials: using scissors involves control and safe handling, while talking about favourite toys gives children something meaningful to describe. Staff also encouraged children learning English to use their other language.

The same November 2022 assessment identified weaknesses that matter alongside those examples. Activities did not always connect closely enough to each child’s next learning goals or provide sufficient challenge. Mathematical experiences needed better organisation, and children needed more opportunities to understand cultures beyond their own. These are practical curriculum questions, rather than reasons to judge the nursery solely by its overall grade.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds weekly, hands-on learning in nature for all children. Bonnet’s Woods is immediately behind the nursery; possible activities include making dens, investigating small creatures, creating art from natural materials and learning how to handle simple tools. The woodland gives this approach a concrete setting, rather than leaving outdoor learning as an abstract ambition.

In November 2022, children also used the garden in different weather, practised riding bicycles and scooters, and invented recipes during muddy play. Finding their own outdoor clothes was part of that routine. The examples connect physical activity with small opportunities to do things independently.

Trips have recognisable age-related traditions. The Christmas Theatre Trip takes preschool children to a pantomime each winter, while the annual Summer Farm Trip brings the toddler group to Old MacDonald’s Farm to meet animals and explore. These experiences broaden the day beyond the nursery’s own spaces.

Exploring London’s Transport introduces different ways of travelling through a trip involving the DLR, Thames Clipper and Emirates Cable Cars. Local Mini-Outings are regular, smaller excursions that may include shops, a library or a park, alongside woodland walks. Families receive information about outings and may be invited to accompany them when possible.

Relationships and Communication

The key person approach links daily care with a child’s home routines and individual needs. Its value is practical: families have a relationship through which to explain how their child likes to be cared for, rather than relying on a general routine to fit everyone.

Monthly newsletters bring together activity highlights, forthcoming plans and important nursery information. In November 2022, staff also shared what children could do with parents and used their knowledge of children’s interests when planning activities. This gives useful context for the relationship between learning at nursery and conversations at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The ELSA Programme provides emotional support through a relationship in which children can discuss difficult experiences. Examples include bereavement, parental separation, moving home and adjusting to a new sibling. Relax Kids Sessions add visiting support for understanding emotions and practising self-regulation; staff use the guidance from those sessions in their work with children.

For additional needs, the graduated approach follows a cycle of observation, assessment, planning and review. Initial help takes the form of adjustments within everyday routines and play. Where more support is needed, the key person involves the SENCo, or Special Educational Needs Coordinator, and parents in deciding the next steps. This is a clear mechanism for discussing support.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found children with SEND well supported, with staff involving families and outside agencies when extra help was needed. The current staff structure includes safeguarding lead and deputy lead roles, alongside paediatric first aid training; these are arrangements, separate from the dated judgement about their effectiveness.

An in-house cook makes meals from fresh ingredients without ready-made dishes or jar sauces. The dietary policy provides for a discussion with families and an individually planned menu, with experience covering requirements such as dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and halal diets.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Gardeners Corner, Aveley Road, Upminster, RM14 2TN. Opening hours are 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with weekends and bank holidays closed. It operates across the year.

Full-time and part-time childcare provide different attendance options within that opening window. Opening hours describe when the nursery operates, rather than fixing the duration of either booking pattern. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01708 222450.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. For three- and four-year-olds, the universal entitlement is up to 15 hours a week over 38 weeks, starting in the term after the third birthday; eligible working parents can access up to 30 hours over 38 weeks. Both can be stretched across 51 weeks at this nursery, with weekly allocations of 11.2 and 22.4 hours respectively.

This distinction matters when planning attendance across the year: stretching spreads the entitlement over more weeks with a smaller weekly allocation. Funding options also cover eligible two-year-olds. Entitlement and eligibility should be kept separate from the choice of private attendance hours.

• Challenge and early mathematics. In November 2022, activities did not consistently stretch children or connect closely enough to their next steps, and mathematical learning needed better organisation. On a visit, ask how staff now choose the next challenge for a child and build number concepts into play.
• Learning about other cultures. The November 2022 improvement actions included extending children’s understanding beyond their own cultural experiences. Ask for a recent example of how families’ backgrounds contribute to activities and conversations.
• Attendance and the written quotation. Full-time and part-time care sit alongside funding that can be stretched across the year. Before joining, request a written quotation showing your attendance pattern and the treatment of meals, consumables and additional hours.
• Dietary needs. Individually planned menus are part of the dietary policy. Families managing allergies or intolerances should confirm current kitchen practice and how their child’s requirements will be communicated to staff.

My Little Angels suits families seeking either full-time or part-time childcare for children aged two to five, especially those who value regular woodland learning and a defined route for emotional support. Bonnet’s Woods, the ELSA Programme and visiting Relax Kids Sessions give that proposition substance.

The balance is important. A Good judgement from November 2022 sits alongside specific curriculum weaknesses around challenge, mathematics and cultural understanding. The most useful visit would connect those questions with the child-led play, outdoor experiences and individual support that shape this nursery’s offer.