Edwin Street Nursery in Amble is ranked outstanding by Ofsted inspectors

Edwin Street Nursery, based at Amble First School, was visited at the beginning of September and has been rated outstanding in all four categories: the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

The report stated that “children thrive in all areas of their learning” and that they are “extremely happy and positively thrive in this nurturing setting”.

The nursery was last visited by Ofsted in 2016, when it was ranked as ‘good’ in the same four categories.

Over the past six years the staff have been working hard to improve the standards of the nursery with the hope of achieving an outstanding rating.

In 2016 inspectors advised them to focus on two key areas: to explain about turn taking and to better share the progress and experiences of children.

The staff took the advice seriously and managed to make both areas a strength by 2022.

Sharon Donaldson, nursery manager, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the high quality of early years education provided at our nursery has been confirmed by Ofsted.

"As nursery manager I know how hard the team work every day to ensure they provide the very best education for all our children. The nursery staff are truly amazing and the report highlights those areas we are particularly proud of and have worked hard to achieve.

“There are many comments I am proud of, but the fact Ofsted recognised how much staff focus on developing a nurturing environment which allows children to ‘thrive in all areas of the learning’ was really very special.”

Lizzie Jackson, head of Amble First School, said: “We are delighted that the hard work of the nursery staff has been recognised by the recent report.

"We know that the children who attend Edwin Street Nursery are getting the very best start to their education and this enables a seamless and successful transition into the first school.

"We will continue to build on this close relationship to create the best possible opportunities for the children in our care.”