'Over the moon' staff at Sunderland nursery weep tears of joy after good Ofsted judgement

Staff at Little Learners nursery were "over the moon" and wept tears of joy after the setting was judged to be good in all areas following its latest Ofsted inspection.

Inspectors highlighted the "secure bonds" between adults and children which are created by the "kind, caring and nurturing" staff.

Inspectors also highlighted the "high expectations" staff have of the infants and how the older children are well prepared for school.

Lead inspector Michelle Lorains was fulsome in her praise of the nursery's "challenging and interesting curriculum", development of children's literacy and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

She said: "Children are supported to have secure foundations for future learning, and staff know them very well.

"They plan activities that are based on children's interests and use assessments of their development to provide the right levels of challenge.

"Children show enthusiasm and are engaged in their learning.

"Staff focus on supporting children to develop good communication and language skills. Young children enjoy listening to stories and become familiar with them. This is extended for older children as they talk about the author and illustrator of the book.

"Staff effectively support children with SEND. They provide regular focused groups and work in partnership with parents and the special educational needs coordinator in the nursery."

After being informed of the judgement manager Deborah Batey said: "There were tears of joy from the owner and staff and they let out a large cheer when they were told about the judgement.

"We are over the moon and immensely proud. It was pleasing to see someone else had recognised the hard work we put in and the difference we make to the children.

"We knew we were doing the right things but it was nice to have this acknowledged during the inspection."

Deborah was "most pleased" inspectors recognised the "focused support" provided for the children's emotional and social development.

She added: "A lot of our children are Covid babies and this is an area which it has been really important to work on."

Inspectors commended the nursery for its mathematics curriculum, which was described as a "real strength" of the setting, and the provision for outdoor education and developing children's physical skills.

The report also praised the strong relationships developed with families, highlighting that parents and grandparents are "very happy" with the care their children receive and are "pleased with how much their children's speech has developed since they started".