The Old Forge Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is outstanding • The inspirational leadership of the manager drives the excellent standards of this nursery.

The manager has an exceptional approach to leading her team. She is passionate about her work, experienced and extremely knowledgeable. The manager uses a robust self-evaluation system regularly, to help her make improvements.

• Staff are very enthusiastic, immensely caring and establish highly positive, warm relationships with children. The key-person system is exceptional and staff support children's emotional well-being in excellent ways. • Children behave exceptionally well.

Staff are excellent role models, who have extremely high expec...tations of all children and celebrate their uniqueness. Staff manage children's behaviour very successfully. They help children to understand, value and respect their friends.

• Staff use observations and assessments to help them skilfully shape learning experiences for children. They have a secure knowledge of children's next steps in learning which they precisely identify through their high-quality assessment processes. Children make rapid progress relative to their starting points.

• Inspiring members of staff teach communication and language skills extremely well. They talk to babies and hold purposeful conversations with older children. Staff introduce new words such as 'sparkle' and 'shine', to help describe the glitter children play with and increase children's vocabulary.

• Staff nurture children's natural curiosity. They provide an excellent challenging and stimulating environment and are skilful at supporting and encouraging children to plan and guide their own play and learning. • Exceptionally strong partnerships have been established with parents.

This helps to ensure children's interests, abilities and needs are understood and expertly met. Parents highlight how well their children settle and develop. They feel fully informed about their children's routines, activities and progress.