Ofsted heaps praise on '˜outstanding' nursery

Ofsted has praised the 'inspirational leadership' which helped Daisychain Day Nursery receive its top rating.
Daisychain Day Nursery has been rated 'outstanding' by OfstedDaisychain Day Nursery has been rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted
Daisychain Day Nursery has been rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted

The nursery, in Three Bridges Road, underwent an inspection on November 22 and was rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas.

In her report, which was published on December 12, inspector Sue Suleyman said: “A culture of respect, warmth and concern for the care and welfare of all children is evident across the nursery. The children are extremely confident, happy and secure.”

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Ms Suleyman said children who attended Daisychain made “rapid progress” in their learning, while those with special educational needs were seen to make “substantial progress”.

She praised the nursery’s efforts to improve outcomes for the children, and described its self-evaluation as “highly accurate”.

When it came to their teaching skills, Ms Suleyman was impressed with the way staff allowed the children’s imaginations to decide which way to steer an activity.

One example saw them counting how high they could build a tower of plastic bricks, by sticking them together with shaving foam.

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The children then laid the tower flat on the floor and used it as part of an obstacle course.

Ms Suleyman also saw plenty of examples of youngsters developing their early academic skills. She said: “Staff provide numerous opportunities for children to develop reading and writing skills for a purpose.

“For example, children use large chalks outside to make a roadway, write letters on the office computer and read books in the cosy corners.”

When asked what she thought of the report, delighted nursery manager Veronica Sullivan said: “How excited can a woman be?”

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She added: “We set ourselves a target, so when we got it we were beyond excited. We were thrilled.”

Veronica was full of praise for the nursery team.

She said: “I see the team bring so much into their every day work. They put their hearts and souls into the job. I truly believe my staff are inspired by children – they bring so many ideas and so much enthusiasm. To have that recognised was lovely.

“I’m very proud of the team.”

When it came to ways to further improve the nursery, Ms Suleyman had just one recommendation – to encourage even more opportunities for parents to tell staff about the children’s progress at home.

To read the report in full, log on to Ofsted's website.

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