Northampton nursery rated ‘good’ in all areas in latest Ofsted report

A Northampton nursery has been rated ‘good’ in all areas by Ofsted in their latest inspection.

Ashbourne Day Nurseries, in Upton Meadows, was visited by Ofsted inspectors in June. During inspections, the education watchdog considers the quality of education, behaviours and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

Ashbourne Day Nurseries was rated ‘good’ in all categories in a report published this week.

The report said: “Children confidently separate from parents when they arrive. They are greeted warmly by staff and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.”

Staff at the nursery were commended for helping children to understand how to share and take turns, encouraging children to complete tasks independently and knowing children really well.

An inspector commended the staff’s use of ‘role play experiences’ to broaden children’s knowledge, such as getting the children to pretend to go camping, which started conversations about similarities and differences between children’s family experiences.

The report found that the curriculum is planned to support the children’s needs and they are supported to extend their understanding of shapes and numbers by, for example, filling differently shaped containers with water.

Inspectors noted there is a strong focus on promoting oral hygiene at the nursery with additional funding being used to provide resources such as timers and toothbrushes so children can practice brushing on a false set of teeth.

Ofsted particularly praised how Ashbourne Nurseries works with their host school by inviting teachers to visit the children so they become familiar with the adult, who will be caring for them. Inspectors said children chat with teachers about siblings who attend the school and this supports children to be “emotionally ready” to move onto the next stage of their education.

The report found that children are “keen” to explore and investigate the range of toys offered indoors and outdoors. A recent change was made to the outdoor activity area to provide a ‘mud and herb kitchen’ - children confidently play alongside others when they pretend to make a chicken curry.

Another point raised by the education watchdog was that nursery staff keep parents informed about their children’s learning and development.

They support parents to continue their children’s learning at home by, for example, providing story books to encourage parents to read to their children. These books often include words in the children’s home languages, which is particularly beneficial for those who speak English as an additional language.

To improve, Ofsted inspectors said that staff need to consistently support children to understand their feelings and emotions when they become upset and staff’s knowledge needs to be strengthened to help children identify risks in their play, such as when they access the internet.

The last Ofsted inspection of Ashbourne Day Nurseries took place in January 2013 when the setting was known as ‘Little Wiggles’ and rated as ‘outstanding.’

Read the full Ofsted report here.