A DOWNEND nursery and preschool has been praised for the “broad range of exciting and interesting experiences” it offers young children.
An inspector visited Kiddi Caru Downend Road in August, and found that it met the regulator’s higher ‘strong standard’ in two areas: behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, and children’s welfare and well-being.
The nursery, which has 44 places for children aged four and under, met Ofsted’s expected standard in four other areas: achievement; curriculum and teaching; inclusion; leadership and governance.
Inspector Rachael Williams said: “Children enter the inviting nursery and engage happily in a broad range of exciting and interesting experiences that help them build confidence across all areas of their learning.
“Children, particularly the youngest, thrive through a highly effective key-person system. Children benefit greatly from affectionate and caring relationships with their familiar adults.”
The report noted the nursery’s extremely high expectations for children’s behaviour and “calm and consistent” way it is addressed by staff.
The inspector said: “Staff always speak to children at their level and use age-appropriate language in their explanations.
“Leaders promote an ethos of regular attendance, punctuality and positive habits, as children prepare for their onward move to school.”
Ofsted highlighted the “affectionate and caring relationships” between children and their key workers, and work to develop communication, language and maths skills.
The inspection took place during a heatwave, and the inspector said: “There are exceedingly effective arrangements to ensure children remain safe during extreme weather.”
The inspection was the third to take place since the nursery was taken over by national operator Grandir UK in 2023, and the first under Ofsted’s new, more complex grading system.
Its first inspection in early 2024 resulted in an ‘inadequate’ overall rating but four months later its performance had been transformed, and it was judged to be ‘good’.
Nursery manager Anne-Marie Payne said: “Achieving such a positive Ofsted inspection is a hugely proud moment for me as nursery manager and a wonderful reflection of the dedication of our whole team.
“We work incredibly hard to create a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment where every child is supported to thrive, learn and develop.
“I am incredibly proud of the passion, commitment and teamwork shown by our staff every day, and this recognition is a real testament to their hard work. “Most importantly, we will continue to build on this success and strive to provide the very best experiences and outcomes for every child and family in our nursery.”