A DAY nursery on Southern Way has been praised by government education watchdog, Ofsted.

Griffin Day Nursery was inspected last month.

The report states:

The managers and newly-appointed staff team are ambitious. This has had a very positive impact on significantly improving the provision they offer. Since the previous inspection, they have successfully addressed the actions and recommendation raised. Staff now use their detailed observations to make regular and precise assessments of children’s achievements to accurately inform their planning.

Children demonstrate that they are happy and show high levels of self-confidence as they help staff to show authorised visitors around the nursery. They enjoy close relationships with their key person and all staff, who help them to feel settled and secure from an early stage. Children frequently tell staff that, ‘They love them’ and welcome their sensitive interaction in their play.

Staff place a high priority in promoting children’s communication and language development. They expand younger children’s vocabulary by consistently responding to their early attempts at speaking, helping them to learn the pattern of conversation. Older children learn the meaning of new words, such as kneading, when making dough, therefore, embedding words in a meaningful way.

The well-qualified staff team plans a wealth of interesting learning activities that ignite children’s curiosity. They learn about and show care and concern for living things, such as giant cockroaches and millipedes, as they carefully handle these.