A nursery has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ after a watchdog found children were thriving thanks to its ‘consistently high’ level of care and education. Kids Allowed provides daycare for more than 350 children - from babies to 10-year-olds - from its base at Cheadle Royal Business Park, in Stockport.
Ofsted inspectors were hugely impressed when they visited the play group for the first time since it opened in May 2020. They rated it as ‘outstanding’ - the highest possible award - noting that youngsters are ‘highly engaged in play, with exceptionally positive attitudes to learning’.
“Children make rapid progress in their learning and development,” a new report adds. "They are very well supported by staff who have an exceptional knowledge of their developmental stages.”
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Youngsters are also said to be ‘enthusiastic to learn more’ and encouraged by staff who have high expectations of them. “Children thrive in the setting, demonstrating their emotional security, established through secure attachments and nurturing relationships with kind and caring staff,” inspectors noted.
“For example, staff are observant and notice which children are not joining in activities. They then give them a bit of extra encouragement, which supports them to participate.”
Children are said to be ‘impressively independent’ and confident while their behaviour is described as ‘exemplary’. The play centre is run by Kids Planet Day Nurseries - and leaders are said to have an 'ambitious and clear vision' which is implemented exceptionally well.
“This helps to ensure that there is a consistently high level of care and education,” officials found. “There is a clear focus on staff well-being, resulting in staff feeling valued and appreciated.”
The report notes that employees have ‘superb opportunities’ for professional development - including training to work with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). “Therefore, the needs of children with SEND are very well met,” it adds.
Officials also noted that staff had an excellent knowledge of safeguarding and also praised the nursery’s relationship with parents. Kirsty Bentham, nursery manager at Kids Allowed Cheadle Royal, said achieving an ‘outstanding’ rating was an incredibly proud moment for her hard working team whose ‘passion truly shone through on the inspection day’.
She said: "The Ofsted inspectors were extremely impressed by our ambitious and clear vision for the nursery, our close relationships with parents, and our consistently high level of care and education. We are thrilled with the inspectors’ comments on how independent the children are, and how their behaviour is exemplary.
"They noted that, with the help of staff, the children are making excellent progress in their personal, social, and emotional development.” She added: “I would like to say a special thank you to all our wonderful families for their continued support and allowing us to be such a huge part of their children’s lives.”
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