Popular nursery in Shirebrook earns rich praise after latest Ofsted inspection

Chestnuts Childcare, which has 132 youngsters on its books, has been established for more than 20 years.

Now Ofsted has rated it ‘Good’ both overall and also in all four individual categories, which cover the quality of education, the behaviour and attitudes of children, the personal development of children and the leadership and management of staff.

The inspector’s report read: “Staff provide a secure and welcoming environment where children are happy and develop strong relationships.

"Parents comment that children love attending nursery and have fun with their friends. They praise the staff for their hard work in helping children come on leaps and bounds.”

The Byron Street nursery opens from 5 am to 7 pm on Mondays to Fridays every week, apart from a three-day break at Christmas. It is owned by Christine Scott, while the manager heads a team of 16 qualified childcare staff.

The Ofsted inspector found that “staff support all children to make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)”.

Children had “ample opportunity to listen to and read stories”, and “enthusiastically joined in during singing and rhyme time”.

They were encouraged to express their feelings and emotions, and also developed their physical skills, thanks to large play equipment outside and other “stimulating activities”.

The children also developed their confidence when talking about events at home in conversations with staff at meal times.

"Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children’s behaviour,” the Ofsted report went on. “Children learn to be respectful and respond positively when staff interact with them.

"The team work hard to embed an ambitious curriculum that supports children’s development in all areas of learning. Activities are meaningful and based on children’s interests.”

The inspector also praised the nursery for providing staff with “regular training to support their ongoing professional development”.

"This helps managers to ensure that staff are skilled, knowledgeable and able to support children effectively. All staff are highly committed to supporting all children and families.”

Only two areas were pinpointed for improvement – developing “a consistent approach” to explaining to children how they should behave, and reviewing the organisation of snack times with babies so that they engage fully.