Rocking Horse Nursery in Stamford rated good by Ofsted

A ‘family-focused and friendly’ nursery has been praised for the way it cares for young children.

The Rocking Horse Nursery in Stamford has been rated as good across the board following an Ofsted inspection.

Inspector Helen Lakey was particularly impressed by how well staff know the children.

She said: “Children show kindness to each other and play well together because the staff model positive behaviour.

“The staff know the children well and respect each child’s individual needs. They work closely with parents to understand and respond to children’s individual routines.”

The nursery in Rutland Road has places for 48 children up to the age of four.

It was found to have effective safeguarding arrangements which put the children first.

Ms Lakey did point out that staff encourage children to learn phonics, but the activity she saw was not age-appropriate for most of the children, meaning they could lose interest.

As a result, staff have been directed through the report to ensure the literacy curriculum is age-appropriate and meets the needs of all children. They were also asked to tighten up mealtime routines and to make sure the children know what is expected of them.

Nursery manager Sharon Eastman said: “We are thrilled with our recent Ofsted inspection. We had really positive feedback from the inspector and parents in the setting, which is credit due to our amazing team.

“Everyone at the Rocking Horse nursery works hard to ensure the needs of all the children and families are met and that shines through every day.

“We are so proud of our team and everyone who is part of the Rocking Horse family.”