Aiming to be among the best brings big reward for Stratford team at nursery
TEARS of joy greeted the news that Clopton Nursery Trust has been rated outstanding by Ofsted.
The journey from being previously graded as requires improvement to outstanding is down to the sheer hard work and the team effort of staff but rising to that challenge and taking the nursery to the very top of its profession was always the goal set by nursery manager, Georgia Skinner, when she took over the role six years ago.
Georgia set her goals and was determined to drive the nursery forward and by 2018 the Ofsted inspection resulted in the nursery moving up the scale from needing improvement to being rated as good. Therefore, the recent announcement by Ofsted that the nursery is now outstanding is a remarkable testament to the commitment of everyone involved – the children, the parents and the staff.
Georgia Skinner told the Herald: “When I found out we’d got an outstanding rating I burst into tears - with joy. When we went round the team and told them they cried too or had a big grin on their face from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.
“From the very start I said to everyone we are going to get an outstanding rating and that we’ve got targets to aim for. We want to go above and beyond and we just want to be doing the right thing for the children all the time. We have pet rabbits, a forest school which thrives on outdoor learning, we have created more space, we’ve learnt from our children and responded to them because we want to help them have wonderful memories of their childhood. We are never going to sit still and always strive to be the best because when you see children enthralled with what they are doing when they are at the nursery that’s the joy we get out of what we do. I also want to include my thanks to the team for their hard work, care and dedication,” said Georgia.
Ofsted noted that exciting play times, which encourage a child’s curiosity and inquisitive nature, helps staff develop warm and trusting relationships with parents.
It added: “Staff hold purposeful conversations to gather detailed information about the children and then use this knowledge, coupled with their own professional expertise, to deliver finely tuned teaching to meet each child’s needs. The curriculum provides excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff have exceptionally high expectations, and all children, including those with SEND, make extremely strong progress.”
The outdoor learning experience was also praised in the recent inspection.
“All children in the setting frequently access outdoor learning in their forest school area. Children enthusiastically run up and down the hill in order to get to the exciting outdoor learning space. They delight in rolling down the hill and giggle with their peers as they do this. Staff skilfully teach children how to keep themselves safe and how to identify and manage risk. They lead children in learning the rules of the provision through singing. Children are knowledgeable about the staff expectations and share these confidently with visitors. For example, they remind their visitor to walk around the outside of the log circle and not to touch the fire pit.”
There was also high commendation for Georgia and staff.
“The manager is inspirational and leads the staff team with integrity. She strives to consistently find new ways of improving all areas of the setting, ensuring the best possible outcomes for children. The team works seamlessly together and is driven to provide the highest-quality service for children. Parents are delighted with the provision. They are extremely complimentary about the nurturing relationships that staff develop with their children and how well they get to know them. Parents feel fully involved and included in their children’s learning and development. They are overwhelmingly positive about the broad range of experiences on offer and the excellent progress that their children make,” the Ofsted inspection reported.
Other observations in the report include:
“Children’s communication and language are supported extremely well. Staff use simple sign language and objects of reference consistently to help children communicate their needs. Children are enthralled by experiences where they explore the use of a range of natural resources that they collected on an autumn walk to mark make with paint. They are highly engaged and skilfully manipulate sticks, conkers and leaves to create a collaborative piece of artwork. Staff provide exceptional opportunities for children to develop their own thoughts and ideas. They actively observe and tune into children’s words and actions.”
And on the issue of safety and safeguarding Ofsted inspectors recorded:
“Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and staff have high levels of knowledge and understanding of their role in protecting children from harm. They are clear about the action to take if they are concerned about a child and they maintain a highly professional and confidential approach. Staff support children effectively to learn about safety and teach them how to manage risk through adventurous play.”
The Ofsted rating means Clopton Nursery is outstanding in its overall effectiveness, the quality of education provided, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, its leadership and its management.
