A NURSERY school in Kendal has been praised for its 'everyone matters' ethos after a recent Ofsted inspection - a year after being told to improve.

Stramongate Nursery, which operates within the grounds of Stramongate Primary School, was rated 'Good' in all categories in a report published based on an inspection carried out by the education inspectorate on October 30.

The report particularly praised the way that children were encouraged to interact with each other and the staff.

"Children are safe and happy at this nursery," it said.

"They quickly form strong attachments with the warm and encouraging staff.

"Babies gain confidence as they explore, regularly returning to staff for cuddles. 

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"Toddlers happily engage with staff, bringing them books to read. 

"They enjoy pointing to the picture and smiling as staff talk to them about the book. 

"Children in pre-school learn about democracy as they use bottle caps to vote for a book at storytime. 

"They count the votes and compare the quantities. 

"This helps children with their mathematical development and teaches them about fairness."

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The report also states that staff understand safeguarding well.

"Staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse," it said.
"Staff risk-assess activities to help keep children safe. 

"For example, they choose to use parachute games indoors instead of the adventure playground on a particularly wet day because of the increased risk of slipping."

Inspectors also observed the positive behaviour of the children.

"Staff have high expectations for behaviour," it said.

"They actively encourage children to think about their peers. "Children demonstrate good behaviour, asking politely for a turn with resources. 

They share with each other and work as a team to tidy up when asked. 

"Children follow known routines well."

The report noted that parents are kept well-informed:

"Partnership with parents is strong. 

"Staff regularly talk to parents about their children's achievements. 

"Parents feel well informed about what their children are learning. 

"They appreciate the ideas that staff give them for continuing learning at home. 

"Working together helps to prepare children for their next stage of learning."

The only area that Ofsted recommended that the nursery improve was to "ask more open-ended questions to encourage children to answer in longer phrases and sentences."