Head Start Day Nursery Achieves ‘Good’ Ofsted Rating

The nursery has been awarded a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted in their latest inspection which took place on 7th July 2023. This was the nursery’s first Ofsted inspection since the ownership of Grandir UK.

Head Start Day Nursery & Preschool, part of Grandir UK, is located in a Village Hall in the centre of Milton Keynes, providing flexible term time childcare and education to families with children aged two years and upwards.

The Ofsted inspector was impressed by how well the nursery staff helped children manage situations they found difficult. The report comments ‘when children take toys that others are playing with, staff explain what has happened and help children consider possible solutions.’ It was noted that children listen and respond well in these situations, showing kindness and respect to one another, and fetching additional toys to ensure that there are enough for everyone to play with.

Parents are very complimentary about their experiences at Head Start. The report included quotes from parents who say, “they could not have asked for a nicer nursery”. The inspector also commented on how well staff help parents to support their child's learning at home, providing ‘exciting projects for families to complete together, such as planting and growing sunflowers’.

The report noted that the nursery helps children to learn about the environment and how to look after the world around them. The nursery staff have implemented an 'Eco Committee' as a part of their partnership with ‘Eco Schools’ where ‘they learn about why it is important for their environment to be free from litter and about the importance of looking after nature.’ As a part of this, the children enjoy projects such as making bird feeders and bug hotels to encourage wildlife into their area, giving them essential skills and knowledge for the future.

Carol Thorniley, the Nursery Manager at Head Start Day Nursery & Preschool in Milton Keynes Village, comments on their Ofsted report: ‘I’m so glad that the inspector has recognised all the extra activities we provide that are unique to Head Start Day Nursery. My team and I do our best to provide high quality education, care and experiences for our nursery families, and it’s wonderful that this has not only been recognised by Ofsted, but by the parents we care for too.’

To learn more about the Head Start Day Nursery & Preschool in Milton Keynes and the care they provide, visit the Grandir UK website.