Little Owls Nursery Rothwell is flying high after boost in Ofsted rating

Children and staff at the Leeds City Council-run Little Owls Nursery Rothwell are celebrating after being rated as ‘good’ in their latest inspection by Ofsted.

The inspectors felt that the nursery, which is based at Rothwell Children’s Centre, had demonstrated significant improvements since their previous inspection only a few months ago, and rated them as ‘good’ after the inspection earlier this month.

Inspectors judged the Little Owls nursery on its management and leadership, the quality of teaching and learning, its arrangements for safeguarding and children’s personal, social and emotional development – all of which were rated as ‘good’.

This result means that now all 30 Little Owls nurseries run by Leeds City Council are either rated as good or outstanding.

The report which was published today, praised the leadership and staff team at the nursery, stating that: “The management team has a positive attitude and strives to provide the best care and education for all children. The team has met all of the actions set at the previous inspection and has made significant improvements to the quality of the learning experiences children receive.”

Children who attend Little Owls Rothwell make good progress according to this latest report, which says: “Children made good progress. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities …. Children initiate their own play and follow their interests. They build friendships and develop good social skills. Children develop key skills in readiness for school and their future.” The report also comments that “Staff work successfully with schools to share important information and make sure that children's transitions between settings are seamless.”

The inspector also praised the nursery for its safeguarding of children: “Safeguarding is effective. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of child protection issues. They understand what action to take if they have concerns about the welfare of a child in their care. Staff are vigilant and ensure that children are safe in the nursery and outdoor environment.”

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, executive member for children and families said:

“This is fantastic progress and a step in the right direction for the team at Little Owls Rothwell. This report shows the nursery has achieved a tremendous turnaround and the managers and team should be really proud of this.

“This result now means that all our Little Owls nurseries are rated by Ofsted as either good or outstanding. This is a fantastic testament to the hard work of all our early years staff who put the children and families in their community at the heart of everything they do.”

The full report can be found on Ofsted’s website here:

Notes:

Little Owls nurseries offer high quality childcare at affordable prices for children aged from three months to five years old. Little Owls nurseries are based on the same sites as Leeds City Council children centres across the city.