A Hat-trick of ‘Outstandings’ for Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean

Parents and staff at Acorns were delighted to receive the news that the nursery had been judged to be ‘Outstanding in All Areas’ by Ofsted.

This latest ‘Outstanding’ judgement makes it three in a row for the nursery which first achieved Ofsted’s highest ranking in 2012 and confirms Acorns’ place amongst the best nurseries in the U.K. ”

Here’s a few highlights from the report:

A Remarkable Learning Environment

The report notes that the children thrive in their nursery environment which ‘provides a superb range of learning opportunities.’  The provision of stimulating indoor and outdoor  activities led the inspector to describe the learning environment provided by leadership and staff as ‘remarkable.’

Dawn McCusker, nursery manager, commented:

“We were pleased to see that the inspector recognised the role access to such a stimulating and varied space was having on the children’s all-round development and enjoyment.  The rich environment is the result of much planning and represents a substantial investment by Children 1st. We are delighted that the effectiveness of this provision was mentioned several times in the report and look forward to enjoying more adventures in our unique environment.”

Remarkably Well-Behaved Children

The children’s excellent behaviour made such a good impression that the inspector described them as ‘remarkably well-behaved.’  At lunch time the older children impressed with their table manners, showing their growing independence as they served their food and waited until everyone else was served before eating.

This outstanding behaviour was attributed to the ‘exceptional guidance and support given by the staff,’  with the inspector praising  the staff for their strong connections and highly effective interaction with the children.

Dedicated and Strong Leadership Team

The inspector attributed the exceptional achievements at Acorns to the high expectations from the leadership team who were described as showing ‘a high level of commitment towards continuous improvement in all areas.’  She noted that the refurbishment of the outside areas showed the leadership team’s determined drive to provide children with outstanding nursery experiences.

A Final Comment from Margaret Mason OBE, founder and Chief Executive of Children 1st Day Nurseries

“The report is a pleasure to read and the accolade of outstanding is well deserved by staff, children and parents. I’m particularly pleased by the inspector’s comments about the effectiveness of partnerships with the parents and the impact of these relationships on the quality of learning.  I’m delighted to read that parents consider that their children are ‘extremely well prepared for their next stage of learning’ as this is an important part of our work.”

Thank-you to everyone who has worked so hard, with such dedication,  to achieve this outstanding report.”

We hope you enjoy looking through the photographs showing Acorns’ remarkable learning environment.