A village nursery near Harrogate has received praise from Ofsted for the way it encourages children to develop their independence.
The School House Nursery in Pannal was also found to be a “welcoming” environment where children felt “safe and secure” when inspector Jennifer Cowton visited.
Rating the nursery ‘good’ in all areas in a report published this week, she said:
“Children know what is expected of them and follow the boundaries and routines of the setting well. They enjoy playing alongside each other and understand the importance of sharing and taking turns.
“Staff act as positive role models and encourage children to be kind. They speak to children in a calming manner, and carefully consider and respect children’s views and opinions.”
During the inspection, which took place at the end of March, Ms Cowton said children were “well prepared for their next stage in learning”, being encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
Children benefitted from learning about the natural world through growing flowers and feeding wildlife, she found.
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The report said the nursery, which is part of Kids at Heart based near Knaresborough, helped children to learn about good health, as well as offering a menu of freshly-cooked, healthy meals and snacks.
Ms Cowton said:
“Parents speak highly of the nursery. They say that their children love attending and arrive happy and smiling.
“Staff share information with parents about their children’s learning experiences through daily conversations. In addition, they share photographs of children’s activities using an online application.
“Parents are encouraged to contribute to their children’s learning and support their learning at home. Staff provide parents with activity ideas.”
The report found that, while staff understood how to support children’s language development, they could do more to model language to younger children while playing.
It also recommended the nursery manager could make better use of observation and supervision to help staff develop their teaching.
Responding to the report, Julie Shaw, owner of Kids at Heart, said:
“I would like to say how delighted I am with our Ofsted report. I feel it truly reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment of the staff team at The School House Nursery, Pannal.
“I would also like to say a massive thank you to the wonderful children (who are amazing) and their parents for all their supportive comments, not only on the inspection day, but on an on-going basis.”