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Upton pre-school given 'good' Ofsted rating

'Children enjoy a carefully planned, exciting curriculum and are happy and make 'very good' progress in their learning'

Zainab Noor

InYourArea Community, Zainab Noor

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Upton pre-school given 'good' Ofsted rating

GOOD RATING: Headstart Nursery and Pre-School, Upton (Picture: Google Street View)

Written by David Norbury

Children at a nursery and pre-school in Cheshire West and Chester make very good progress, according to Ofsted.

Inspector Dee White reached the conclusion at Headstart Nursery and Pre-School, 32 Heath Road, Upton, Chester. The nursery has 154 children on roll and employs 38 childcare staff.

It was found to be good overall by the inspector following a visit. The inspector said the same applied to the quality of education, the behaviour and attitudes of the children, their personal development and the leadership and management of the group.

"The provision is good," said the inspector.

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Children enjoy a carefully planned, exciting curriculum and are happy and make 'very good' progress in their learning. Their key person knows exactly what they like to play with, their developing interests and their next steps in learning.

This ensures the children's learning experiences are tailored very well. Favourite books and stories, used effectively, help children to engage deeper in activities.

Staff are 'exceptionally patient' with the youngsters and enable them to complete tasks for themselves wherever possible. This helps children to develop high levels of well-being. Children's behaviour is 'very good'.

Staff frequently talk to children to help them to acquire new language and support the youngsters' problem solving. Outdoor play and learning opportunities are 'excellent' with specially trained staff delivering daily forest school sessions.

Children develop 'exceptional' independence skills enabling pre-school youngsters to be self-sufficient and ready for school. Those that need extra support to help them to make progress get it swiftly.

The 'long-standing staff team' are regarded 'very highly' by parents who feel part of the nursery family and feel included in their children's learning. Leaders seek guidance to provide additional support for children with special educational needs.

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the inspector made two suggestions relating to ensuring continuity of care and support is provided consistently and providing more consistent opportunities for babies to develop their communication and understanding skills.

Headstart Nursery and Pre-School was registered in 2002.

It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round with an out-of-school club opening from 7.30am to 9am and from 3pm to 6pm, during term time and from 7.30am to 6pm during school holidays.

During the visit, amongst other aspects, managers led the inspector on a learning walk and explained how the curriculum is planned and there were discussions with staff, parents and children.

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