Nurseries are good, says inspector
Two Shrewsbury nurseries have been rated as good by government inspectors.
Mulberry Bush Nursery on Ditherington Road, and Worthen Pre-school, which is run from the village hall, were visited by an Ofsted inspector last month.
Both were found to be good and provided a caring and lively environment for the children in their care.
Mulberry Bush Nursery, which opened in 2012 and has 87 children enrolled, was found to actively engage children in their learning, communicate well with parents and staff were found to have a calm and consistent approach to managing children's behaviour.
Inspector Lesley Bott said that the nursery was not outstanding although the systems to monitor the staff were in place they were not rigorous enough. She added that staff do not make the most of the nursery's outdoor environment to support the learning and development of those children who prefer to learn outdoors.
The inspector praised the nursery for its leadership, quality of teaching and bonds that the children have with their key person and staff. She also found that the outcomes for the children when moving on to school were good.
Worthen Pre-school opened 25 years ago and has 23 children aged between two and five enrolled.
Ms Bott found that the children were confident and enthusiastic learners. She praised the staff for promoting their language and communication skills and for the way the staff team worked together.
"Staff are very good role models and children develop a secure understanding of acceptable behaviour," she said.
The nursery was not yet outstanding because systems for analysing the progress of the children was still being developed and the programme for professional development was not sharply focused on achieving outstanding teaching practice.
However, Ms Bott said that the staff at the nursery were skilled in building on the children's learning through play and in helping the children to learn how to keep healthy. Outcomes for the children were goof and the older children were gaining positive skills to help them prepare for school.
"They confidently write and recognise their names using a variety of different materials," said the inspector.
