Northampton nursery full of ‘happy’ children rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

A Northampton nursery, which was rated ‘outstanding’ in 2014, has been rated ‘good’ in its latest Ofsted inspection.

St Mary’s Day Nursery, in Far Cotton, was visited by Ofsted inspectors on August 5 and - in a report published this week - was rated ‘good’ in all areas.

Inspectors described “happy” children who rushed into the Butterflies and Caterpillars rooms “eager to play” upon arrival.

Describing the morning routine, the report said: “They stretch up high to reach the intercom button, and wait patiently for staff to wave to them from the window and come to let them in.

“Children separate from their parents easily, as staff greet them warmly and welcome them into the nursery.”

Staff are described as having positive relationships with children, knowing them very well and understanding when individual children may need additional support.

Management at St Mary’s Nursery was commended for supporting and prioritising the wellbeing of their staff and having a clear vision for the nursery and what they want children to learn. As a result, staff morale is high and there is a proactive approach to staff development.

The nursery was commended for implementing a well-established routine and planning an “engaging” curriculum based on children’s interests and experiences. For example, children are keen to find “mini-beasts” outdoors so staff provide magnifying glasses, books and cards to help children identify different bugs they collect and study.

Inspectors describe how staff sit closely with children as they play and introduce new words, support their understanding of shapes and numbers and provide resources to encourage children’s curiosity. Children like to experiment by making “potions” in the mud kitchen and staff invite them to join in a search for numbers displayed around the nursery.

One child, as they learnt to make squares by connecting triangles, told an inspector, “building makes me happy.”

The Ofsted report states that children at the nursery behave well and respond positively to high expectations staff have of them.

Inspectors praised staff for encouraging children to share, take turns, respect each other’s play and tidy away their toys.

The report noted that parents are “very complimentary” about St Mary’s Nursery, which keeps them regularly updated about their children’s development both online and face-to-face.

It stated: “They say that the manager and staff are very supportive and go above and beyond to ensure that their children's needs are met.”

Improvements suggested for the nursery include allowing children to be more independent as staff sometimes do things for children that they could do for themselves.

Inspectors also said that staff could also take up more opportunities to build on children’s understanding of things. For example, when children showed staff a volcano they made with soil, staff did not ask questions to challenge their thinking or extend their understanding of what they have been doing.

At the time of inspection, there were 58 children on roll at this nursery. It received an ‘outstanding’ grade at its previous inspection in December 2014.

Read the full Ofsted report here.