Town Street Playgroup: Inside 'warm and welcoming' Chapel Allerton nursery as Ofsted renews Outstanding rating

Town Street Playgroup, located in the Methodist Centre, Chapel Allerton, was rated Outstanding in all inspected categories – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

It is the second consecutive Outstanding grade for the centre, which previously received top marks during an inspection in May 2018.

The education watchdog said: "Children thrive in the exceptionally warm and welcoming environment that the manager and staff provide for them. Children display high levels of confidence and self-esteem and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in staff's care.

"They come into the setting excited and eager to participate in the wide range of activities planned for them. Children and families forge excellent relationships with the kind, caring and nurturing manager and staff."

Children benefit from the "rich learning experiences and ambitious curriculum" that the staff and manager plan for them and "immerse themselves completely in activities."

The manager and staff gather detailed information about children's interests and specific needs, which they use to shape children's experiences at playgroup.

The report added: "Children develop extensive skills and knowledge across all seven areas of learning. The manager and staff use their detailed knowledge of each child to provide an ambitious curriculum that is targeted to their individual needs.

"Staff skilfully break down each skill that they want children to learn into small steps. They differentiate these steps according to each child's stage of learning. This helps to build on each child's knowledge over time until they achieve their goal."

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The playgroup is described as "highly inclusive", with the manager and staff working closely with local schools to identify effective ways to prepare children for their move to school.

This helps to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the targeted support that they need.

Debbie Calvert, Team Leader at Town Street Playgroup, said: "We are immensely proud of this achievement which recognises the hard work and dedication of all the staff, the amazing support we get from our parents and how wonderful the Town Street Playgroup children are."