Ofsted praises Portsmouth nursery where children ‘show enjoyment and thrive’
A nursery in North End has received widespread praise by Ofsted for its highly effective leadership and supportive relationships which help children thrive.
Little Thinkers nursery at New Horizons Primary School, on Portchester Road in North End, Portsmouth, is celebrating an outstanding Ofsted report, with inspectors highlighting the child-first culture and strong support networks with families.
The report judged the nursery to be meeting a ‘Strong Standard’ in Children’s Welfare and Wellbeing, recognising the significant impact staff have on their development and sense of belonging, saying:
“Leaders and staff consistently place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their care and education. They maintain robust oversight of all children as individuals”.
Staff at the nursery received further praise with the report judging Leadership and Governance to also be meeting ‘Strong Standard’, saying:
“Leaders are highly effective in engaging with parents”, before going on to add:
“The welcoming and supportive relationships help children to have a sense of belonging and thrive”, noting this support is also hugely welcomed by families.
Achievement and Behaviour were also picked out as strengths of the provision, recognising how children are ‘active learners and show high levels of curiosity in their play’. The report went on to highlight the ‘enriched learning experiences’ on offer at the nursery, as leaders are ‘swift to identify children’s needs’.
The nursery’s inclusive culture also stood out in the report, noting how children with special educational needs or disabilities are ‘supported well by highly trained staff’.
Farran Harvey, Nursery Manager at Little Thinkers at New Horizons Primary School, expressed the pride she feels for her team:
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved and the fantastic work which has led to this moment, to ensure every child we care for gets the best start to their education.
"We've been on a journey to get to this point and I'm so grateful to our wonderful team for what they do every single day. We're looking forward to becoming even stronger as a nursery as our community of families continues to grow."
Little Thinkers is a growing family of nurseries with three thriving settings across Portsmouth alone. Supported by Thinking Schools Academy Trust, their mission is to light up learning and create a seamless pathway through education.
Children can join Little Thinkers from as young as nine months before progressing to their local trust school on one familiar site, helping families in the city benefit from consistent support at every stage of their child’s journey.
Sonia Nickerson, Strategic Trustee for Little Thinkers, leads on Thinking Schools Academy Trust’s vision for their early years curriculum. She reflected on the importance of this Ofsted report and the dedication from their nursery’s team:
“I’m incredibly proud of our team, our families and our fabulous children. It’s wonderful to see the hard work which goes into our provision is recognised and celebrated.
“Our little ones get the best start in life because of the wonderful people who care for them. I’ve learnt never to underestimate the impact of a skilled nursery practitioner as they make such a difference to the lives of children”.
Michelle Smith FCCT, Interim Deputy CEO for Thinking Schools Academy Trust in Portsmouth, commented on the strength of this pathway and what it means for young people in the city.
“This report is wonderful recognition of the work taking place every day at Little Thinkers,” she said. “For Portsmouth families, it demonstrates the strength of the foundation of our pathway, where children can begin their journey with us from infancy and continue to grow and learn throughout their education.
"We’re transforming life chances across Portsmouth as our Little Thinkers nurseries go from strength to strength and it’s fantastic to see so much praise for what we do”.