A Whalley nursery, where children “benefit from an abundance of outdoor learning opportunities”, has been graded ‘good’ by Ofsted.
Partou Whalley Meadows Day Nursery & Forest School, in Olympic House, was visited by inspectors on July 29 and was awarded a ‘good’ grade across all judgement criteria.
Leaders were deemed to have a good understanding of child development.
Ofsted said: “Children benefit from an abundance of outdoor learning opportunities. They learn how to climb and balance over beams and do so with skill and determination because of the helpful guidance that the staff provide.
“They develop their large muscles and enhance their social skills. Children take part in many outings around the local community that leaders carefully plan. Children visit a local forest area and library and attend swimming lessons each week.”
Staff were deemed to be nurturing and speak to children with kindness and respect, which led to children being settled and self-assured.
Employees were also seen to support children’s language development, and children had an interest in learning new words.
Leaders’ support for staff was seen to be effective, but at times, leaders did not identify inconsistencies in the practices of some staff, meaning some teach the curriculum more effectively than others.
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Inspectors added: “Staff teach children essential skills in readiness for future learning. For example, staff help older children to recognise their name in print and the sounds that letters make.
“Children learn about making marks with various tools, such as pencils, chalks and paints. They show good control when holding pencils. This helps them to develop early writing skills.”
The health of children is well supported by staff and leaders who provide varied and nutritious meals at mealtimes, and students were seen as being curious about trying new foods.
Staff were also seen to support children skilfully in understanding what makes them unique, and they use mirrors to talk about their features before painting self-portraits.
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