An Accrington nursery rated ‘Outstanding’ by inspectors was praised for the way staff inspired pupils to be independent.

Sparthfield Happy Day Nursery is based in Whalley Road, Clayton le Moors, and caters for 66 children.

It was also commended by inspectors for the way staff forged ‘developing meaningful relationships with children and their families’, in the Ofsted report following an inspection in February.

The nursery achieved 'Outstanding' in all areas.

Nursery manager Emily-Rose Dawber praised staff for their "exceptional work" in maintaining "excellent" care for young children.

The report said: “This helps every child to connect emotionally to their carers.

"Children's strong emotional security enables them to fully engage in, and take control of, their learning with great enjoyment. Consequently, children are self-assured, positive and ambitious in all they do. 

“The close attachments staff make with children enable them to fully understand each child's unique needs and interests.

"Staff accurately identify all areas for development and facilitate new learning in a personalised and exciting way. 

“As such, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make excellent progress and reach their potential in this superb nursery.

"Staff provide children with a very well-considered curriculum that is broad and varied. Staff create a relaxed, yet predictable environment and dependable routines that help learning to unfold.”

This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation.

Staff were said to ‘gently support’ children to learn to behave by promoting the nursery 'responsibilities'. 

The report said: “Staff prioritise and facilitate children's emotional awareness. Staff read books about mental health and invite children to talk about how daily experiences make them feel.

"Staff help children to consolidate their learning as they understand more about the variety of feelings humans experience. 

“Children are enabled to learn strategies to help them, and others cope with their feelings. For example, pre-school children coach their friends to breathe in and out to help them feel calm.

"Children develop the attributes of emotional intelligence and demonstrate this in their consistently positive attitudes and behaviour.

“Staff have the highest trust in children and allow them to do things for themselves.

"This helps children to feel empowered and encourages appropriate independence. For instance, staff notice that children have spilt milk as they pour their drinks. 

“They offer kind reassurance but allow children time to solve the problem themselves. This intelligent support increases children's resilience and ability to think critically. Children become autonomous learners.”

Emily-Rose, in a message to parents, said: “On a personal note, as nursery manager, I would like to say a huge thank you to the whole staff team for being dedicated, hardworking, and enthusiastic. 

“It is a privilege to work with a team who continually strive to provide excellent care and learning for our children, ensuring the nursery continues to be consistently exceptional. 

“May I also say a huge thank you to all our parents for choosing our nursery, all your children are wonderful. 

“Thank you for taking the time to give feedback to the inspector, it was overwhelming to hear the comments you gave about the outstanding care and learning experiences we provide for your children. 

“You have played a big part in the continual development of the nursery and your support towards our grading of outstanding is greatly appreciated.”