'Warm and welcoming' Leeds nursery completes Ofsted turnaround after previous critical inspection

Noah's Ark Kindergarden, located on Reginald Street, Chapeltown, has been rated as Good in all four inspected categories - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

It completed an impressive turnaround for the nursery after previously being rated as Requires Improvement following an inspection in June 2024.

Ofsted said: “Children enjoy their time at this warm and welcoming nursery. Leaders prioritise partnerships with parents. Effective settling-in procedures ensure that key workers forge meaningful relationships with parents from the start.

“Leaders ensure that learning builds sequentially as children move up the nursery. Staff have high expectations of the children and know their nursery community well. They adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of the children who attend.”

Since the last inspection, staff have completed a programme of professional development, which has “improved their knowledge and understanding of child development.” This has raised the quality of staff interactions with children at the nursery.

Staff prioritise supporting children to “develop a good foundation in mathematics.” Staff consistently weave mathematics language into their interactions with the children.

Focusing on areas of further improvement, the education watchdog added: “The provider should improve the organisation of group times to ensure children maintain their engagement and benefit from the intended learning.

“They should support staff to consistently support children to develop their independence to help them develop the skills they need to move on to school with confidence.”

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Staff act as “very good role models” and “celebrate” the diverse cultures within the nursery. Children learn to respect one another's similarities and differences through planned activities, celebrations and daily routines.

Parents are said to be very happy with the nursery. They report that their children are making “fantastic progress” and are keen to attend. They comment on how much their children's language development has progressed.