‘Passionate’ Cleckheaton nursery manager ‘really pleased’ with ‘Good’ Ofsted verdict

Fingerprints Nursery, on Dewsbury Road in the town, received the second highest rating from the education watchdog following an inspection on Thursday, October 27.

The report says: “Children enjoy their time in the nursery and behave well. They show care and concern for one another. Children have secure attachments with staff, who are warm and caring.

“Children make good progress, including children in receipt of additional funding. They have a positive and inquisitive approach as they play and explore.

The report, published on November 30, also states that children “are happy and confident” and that they “settle quickly in the safe and welcoming nursery.”

Staff are praised for planning “an expansive, ambitious and exciting curriculum,” which “builds on children's knowledge, experiences and interests, such as their fascination with insects.”

Staff also “effectively consult with parents to assess children's development,” and “plan for children's key next stages, such as learning to walk, talk or use the toilet.”

The report goes on to say: “Staff promptly identify children working below typical expectations and make timely referrals to other professionals, to help children to catch up.

“Staff work extremely closely with parents to settle children in. They follow familiar care routines, which help babies and toddlers to feel secure.

“The passionate manager monitors many aspects of practice effectively in order to drive improvements.”

Anthony Bacon, the nursery’s manager, was pleased with the report. He said: “Collectively, as a nursery, we were all really, really pleased. It is what we were all aiming for and we just want to continue to provide excellent childcare and do the best for the children.

“The whole report reads absolutely wonderfully and I am really happy with the way it has turned out. It was very rewarding. This is why I do the job that I do and why the staff do the job that they do. We are all passionate and we all do a really good job.

“The inspector knew from the get-go that the children were safe, they were happy and that they settled well and recognised that safeguarding was effective. Obviously that is essential and paramount and it comes before everything else.”