Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Glowing praise as nursery earns an outstanding rating
A nursery is celebrating a glowing Ofsted report in which it was rated outstanding in all areas.
Inspectors visited Choochoos Day Nursery in Mill Lane, Harbledown, last month, with the report published on Friday (August 19).
It highlighted a “highly impressive” understanding of writing skills in its older children, an extremely positive partnership with parents and inspirational learning opportunities.
The report stated that all children, including babies, experienced highly motivating and stimulating activities.
Nursery owner Karla Tabony said she was delighted and proud of the team for maintaining an outstanding rating.
“This has been very rare recently and actually I think we are the only full daycare setting awarded outstanding during this Ofsted inspection cycle,” she said.
“It was a really lovely inspec- tion and the inspector was overwhelmed and really pleased by what she found.
“She said we go above and beyond and we have a fantastic team.”
The nursery was previously inspected in June 2013 and was awarded an outstanding rating, but Mrs Tobany said the ratings had changed and it was now harder to get the top mark.
“Ofsted has really raised the bar. The old outstanding is now a good,” she said.
“We put in so much hard work and effort. Our garden areas are amazing, we have a brilliant partnership with parents, we do home visits, for example.
“We also focus on healthy eating, we’ve brought in a chef from Westminster. We also share our menus with parents. I’m so proud of the team.”
The nursery, which has been open for six years, was told by the inspector that the management team encouraged its staff to work together to make “impressive changes” which have a highly positive impact on children’s learning.
Mrs Tobany said despite the nursery’s popularity they have places available for September for children from birth to five, and stressed they have the free 15 hours per week for three to four-year-olds.