A nursery in Nuneaton is celebrating after receiving an 'Outstanding' rating in its recent Ofsted report. Acornwood Day Nursery, located in Brett's Hall Farm, had a recent inspection in August and received four 'outstanding' grades in all categories.

The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management were all rated highly in their report. It means the nursery has beaten its previous inspection rating of 'good', which it has held since 2018.

Acornwood is a family-orientated nursery which was opened by Kevin and Deborah Ford in 1992 with just seven children, but now has nearly 100 children on role. These days it is run by their daughter Tess Aston and her husband Ryan. It employs 19 childcare staff, 18 of which hold early years qualifications at level 3 or above, and is Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and one week over the Christmas period.

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Manager of Acornwood Day Nursey, Tess Aston, said: "We are absolutely over the moon with our recent Outstanding grading from Ofsted and believe it is very well deserved. Acorn Wood prides itself on offering the absolute best care and environment for our children.

"We've been open for over 31 years and many of our practitioners have been with us for many years, some from day one. The practitioners work so hard every day to provide the best care and nurturing environment for the children.

"We are so proud of the whole report, the very first sentence of the Ofsted report really does sum up our ethos that 'every child is valued and treated as an individual in this wonderfully welcoming and nurturing setting'. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful staff members, the families that have supported us over the years and of course our fabulous Acorn Wood children."

According to the report, at Acornwood every child is 'valued and treated' as an individual in a 'welcoming and nurturing setting'. Staff have in-depth knowledge and understanding of children's interests and specific needs, which they use to shape their learning, with staff making 'strong relationships' with their children and families. Children make choices about how they'll learn in a 'well-resourced environment', with staff seizing every opportunity to extend their learning which in turn, children make excellent progress.

Inspectors said the children are 'confident, happy and remain highly engaged' throughout the day and are 'consistently polite and respectful'. The children also enjoy chatting to each other during mealtimes where they enjoy freshly prepared and nutritious meals, whereby their personal, social and emotional development are 'well supported'.

Inspectors also mentioned that the environment is 'exceptionally well planned and resourced' as toys and equipment are easy to access and move around as children choose to navigate and explore. They benefit from the 'exceptional facilities and resources' in the outdoor play areas and display 'high levels of engagement', with children particularly enjoying climbing and balancing in different ways, showcasing that their physical developments are well supported.

The managers and staff work hard to design an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum which is engaging. Children learn via play activities and high-quality continuous provision, and staff are knowledgeable about children's starting points and current interests. They know what topics to teach and immerse learning through play and daily routines, where staff model being the learners so they can progress onto the next stage.

In terms of children with special educational needs and disabilities, they receive 'excellent support' and receive the help they need, inspectors say. The experienced special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents and other professionals to develop individual intervention and support plans to enhance children's learning and development, which is reviewed regularly.

At Acornwood, children develop their independence from an early age. For example, before going outside, children under two are supported to identify their own coats, whereas two and three-year-olds identify their own belongings and are encouraged to put their boots and coats on themselves. Children also learn about sharing, taking turns and how to be caring and considerate.

Inspectors added that the managers are knowledgeable about early years education and have a clear passion for 'delivering high-quality care and education' for all children. Staff strive continually to improve their professional knowledge and practice and benefit from regular training and professional development opportunities. They are focused on staff to implement the curriculum well to improve the outcomes for children and report high levels of support for their well-being.

In terms of safeguarding at Acorn Wood, inspectors say it is 'effective' and the safeguarding culture is 'strong'. All the staff have completed safeguarding and paediatric first aid training, so they know how to identify signs and symptoms if children are at risk from abuse. They also know what procedures to carry out if they are concerned about children's safety, with staff completing risk assessments and regular checks to maintain a safe environment.

For more information about Acornwood Day Nursey, visit the website. To view the latest Ofsted report and previous reports, visit the Ofsted website.

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