Praise for Sutton nursery where children are 'happy and independent learners'

The education watchdog visited Paper Moon Day Nursery on Mansfield Road in March and has now released its report, giving an overall rating of ‘Good’.

"The manager and staff team have a clear vision about what they want children to learn and how they will teach this,” the report said.

"They encourage children to be curious as they learn and discover through their play. Staff challenge children to work things out for themselves and use skilful questioning to help them understand why and how. This stretches children’s thinking and promotes their problem-solving skills.

“Children make good progress as they move through the nursery, They are happy and independent learners.”

The nursery, which was rated ‘Outstanding’ after its previous inspection in 2018, is part of the well-known Paper Moon stable, established back in 1990 and based in seven locations across the East Midlands.

Open all year round, apart from Bank Holidays, it has 137 children, aged four and under, on its books and employs 28 members of childcare staff. In 2021, it won an award as one of the top 20 day nurseries in the East Midlands.

The Ofsted inspectors judged the Sutton nursery to be ‘Good’ in all four individual categories, which cover quality of education, behaviour and attitudes of children, personal development of children and leadership and management.

"Staff carefully consider how children can build on what they know and can do,” the report went on. “They organise outings so that children can practise using their learning in real-life situations.

"For instance, they take them to the local supermarket to buy vegetables. Children count out money and pay for the chosen outings themselves. Back at nursery, they set up a role-play greengrocer shop where children pretend to be the customer and the shopkeeper.”

The inspectors stressed that children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were “extremely well supported” at Paper Moon, and parents spoke very highly of this “amazing" work.

One area singled out for improvement concerned taking swift action when children become less engaged because they are distracted or not challenged enough in their learning. However, the report made it clear that, in the main, youngsters “behave well and show positive attitudes”.