Maidenhead nursery 'thrilled' after 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating

Education watchdog Ofsted has hailed a Maidenhead nursery as ‘Outstanding’ in its first inspection of the pre-school since the pandemic.

Birdwood Nursery, based at St Mark’s Crescent Methodist Church in Allenby Road, received the rating in all four assessed categories - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

According to inspectors who visited on October 11, children at Birdwood Nursery ‘access a setting that truly excites and encourages their thirst for learning’, and are provided with ‘a wealth of inviting and challenging experiences’ helping them to understand the world around them.

Moreover, children at the nursery, who ‘demonstrate impeccable attitudes towards learning and their behaviour is exemplary’, are supported by ‘highly skilled, attentive and nurturing staff’.

Inspectors also praised Birdwood’s sense of team spirit, whilst highlighting that all children ‘make rapid progress’ when they join the nursery.

Communication between staff and children was also commended in the Ofsted report, as well as children’s attitudes towards one another.

Furthermore, Birdwood Nursery’s support for children with special educational needs was described as ‘exemplary’.

“For example, staff set up small intervention groups to support children's speech and language development and use additional funding to access specialist assessments for those children on long waiting lists,” inspectors added.

“The provider is proactive in sourcing professional development opportunities to improve practice.

“For example, the whole staff team are trained in simple sign language, and they have developed safeguarding systems within the setting using sign, to support staff and promote children's emotional well-being.”

Safeguarding at the nursery is also ‘effective’, inspectors said.

Jo Berger, manager of the nursery, said: “We are thrilled we have been graded Outstanding by Ofsted, in recognition of all the hard work that everybody has put in.

“We will continue to provide an exciting and enriching environment for all our children to thrive and develop in. “Thank you to all our children and parents for their ongoing support.”