Cliffe House Day: Leeds nursery provider with 'rich personal development' rated outstanding by Ofsted
The provider of five nurseries in Leeds has been hailed as outstanding following an Ofsted inspection.
Cliffe House Day Nurseries Limited, located on Back Featherbank Terrace, Horsforth, was rated outstanding in all five inspected categories - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and apprenticeships.
The provider operates seven early years settings across West Yorkshire, including five in Leeds - Baildon, Bramhope, Burley in Wharfedale, Horsforth - Trinity, Horsforth - Featherbank, Shipley and Pudsey.
Ofsted inspectors visited the setting on June 30 this year and published their findings last week (August 12).
The education watchdog said: “Apprentices have highly positive and mature attitudes to their learning. They thrive in a culture of high standards and expectations set by staff. They are highly committed to developing their knowledge and understanding of early years, recognising the considerable responsibilities that they have for children.
“Apprentices develop their professionalism quickly and become valued members of staff in their settings. They grow significantly in confidence as their early years knowledge and skills build. Tutors develop apprentices’ skills in communicating with the parents of children very effectively.”
Staff use their “wealth of experience in early years” to design high-quality, ambitious curriculums that meet skills needs in the sector, the report said. Employers value the expertise of staff and the high-quality training that apprentices receive.
Tutors assess apprentices’ progress very thoroughly and accurately. Level 3 assessments include a project where apprentices demonstrate how they apply their child development knowledge to support children successfully.
Inspectors added: “Apprentices produce work of a high standard. Their work develops in complexity over time and demonstrates that apprentices can link their understanding of the EYFS framework to effective strategies.
“Tutors provide apprentices with helpful and informative careers advice. They encourage apprentices to be ambitious. Tutors support apprentices to consider broader careers such as becoming a special educational needs coordinator.”
Apprentices are described as having a “clear understanding of safeguarding.” They know how to keep themselves safe and recognise their safeguarding responsibilities. They develop their knowledge about local risks and can identify dangers related to radicalisation and extremism.
All apprentices who have completed their apprenticeships so far have passed, with many achieving grades at distinction level, the report added.