Ipswich's Nature Den Nursery delighted to receive 'good' rating from Ofsted in its first review

An award-winning nursery is delighted to have been awarded a 'good' rating by a watchdog in its first inspection.

Ofsted said Nature Den Nursery, on Bramford Lane, Ipswich was nurturing, with a rich, inviting environment in a September visit.

Inspectors noted the staff and leaders are friendly and give children a warm welcome.

It praised the fact managers had an understanding of what children need to learn, although there were issued during group activities that led to pupils losing interest.

Staff excel at at identifying gaps in learning early on, and use a range of strategies to support learning, regardless of the child's starting point, inspectors found.

They also use positive reinforcement to build self-esteem and learn about practical life skills, such as looking after their teeth, and effectively build up language skills by introducing new vocabulary.

The report said: "Leaders and managers are ambitious for the nursery. They regularly review the provision to enhance children's experiences and staff report high levels of well-being and support, including regular supervision sessions and opportunities to develop their interests.

"Staff meetings are held monthly to share experiences and develop practice.

It added: "Parents are very positive about the nursery and staff. They comment that they feel well informed about their child's day and their progress in learning.

"Parents state that their children are happy to attend and that they have grown in confidence and independence. They believe their children are safe and well cared for."

Nature Den Nursery is an early learning centre for children between the ages of 2 and 4.

It has a maximum capacity of 36, but only 29 children were on its roll when the review took place.

It opened in 2018 and is part of Bows and Arrows Group, which operates several centres in Ipswich.

The only areas for improvements, the report stated, were that the nursery should improve the way staff organise adult-led small-groups to ensure learning is not interrupted.

Staff questioning should also be improved to allow the children to extend critical thinking.

School leaders revealed they were delighted with the result of the report.

Heather Pearne, the operations manager at Bows and Arrows, said she was really happy the report highlighted the best aspects of the practice, which underpins the work staff do.

She added: "It's good that Ofsted have validated our work by noting the kind and nurturing atmosphere we have at Nature Den Nursery.

"We're pleased a lot of the work we do on a daily basis has been picked up on, even as the pressures of the last few years have dug at us.

"Some of our staff have been nominated for awards in the past, and it's good to see their hard work pay off."