AN ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE nursery has risen from inadequate to good in just six months, according to Ofsted.
Inspectors rated Kidzstop, on Katherine Street, in its lowest bracket in September.
But just half a year on, improvements have seen it elevated to good.
And in its latest report following a visit on February 12, the impact of them – both physically and in terms of children’s learning – was not downplayed.
Inspectors state: “Leaders have taken action to address the weaknesses raised at their last inspection.
“They have implemented thorough vetting procedures to ensure only staff whose suitability has been checked have unsupervised contact with children.
“Leaders support staff through coaching and training. This has impacted positively on the quality of the provision.
“Staff respond as babies use simple signs and gestures to communicate. They play ‘peepo’ with babies and offer lots of cuddles. This supports children to develop strong bonds with staff.
“They have embedded consistent routines that children follow eagerly. Staff use a range of strategies to support children’s understanding of changes in routines, such as the use of a bell and visual aids.
“At tidy up time, children eagerly work together to tidy away the toys. Staff then offer reassurance as to what will happen next. This helps children to feel safe and secure and to understand the expectations.
“Leaders and staff have devised a clear curriculum. They know the needs of the community and the families and place a strong focus on providing children with a set of experiences that build on what they have experienced at home.
“Staff use children’s interests well to help children build positive attitudes to learning. Children are eager learners who make good progress in their development.”
Communication was cited as a big focus for staff at Kidzstop and parents are noticing the progress of staff’s work in that area.
The report adds: “Children’s communication and language is a key focus of the nursery.
“Staff support this as they model clear language and promote a love of books and songs.
“Babies explore textured books and as they turn the pages. Children have fun and develop their language skills as they take part in these experiences.
“Parents state that they have seen lots of progress with their children’s communication skills since they have started attending.
“Parents value the effective two-way flow of information about their children’s care and development. This supports them to further extend learning at home
“Staff embrace the expertise of other agencies involved with children’s learning, such as speech and language therapists to support them in developing individual plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
“All children, including children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
“Staff plan environments that encourage children to be physically active. Babies develop their physical skills to aid their progress towards walking.
“They confidently climb up age-appropriate slides and delight as they slide down independently. Children make good progress in their physical skills. “