A NURSERY in Shipley has been celebrating after receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating in its first Ofsted inspection.

Cliffe House Day Nursery, based in Taunton Street, Shipley, was awarded the top rating by Ofsted after an inspection earlier this year.

Ofsted found the nursery to be Outstanding in all areas during the inspection.

It said: “The provider and manager have high expectations of themselves and staff.

“They have wonderful aspirations for all children and an exceptional commitment to inclusion and celebrating difference.

“They remove barriers to learning and establish first-class partnerships with others. Consequently, all children make remarkable progress.

“Staff ignite children’s curiosity and their thirst and enthusiasm for learning with a wealth of rich, exciting and challenging first-hand experiences.

“Staff build outstanding relationships with parents, as part of the excellent settling-in programmes and children’s ongoing care and education.

“There is comprehensive information sharing, and consequently children’s individual needs are exceedingly well met and they flourish.

“Staff model excellent social skills. As a result, children’s behaviour is exceptional. They are highly sociable and play harmoniously with their friends.

“The monitoring of staff’s practice and opportunities for continued professional development is excellent.

“As part of this, the provider has set up her own in-house training academy. Staff’s qualifications and high-quality interaction and motivation significantly enhance children’s learning and wonderful approach to learning.”

The only area Ofsted said the nursery could improve would be by developing its outdoor area.

Natalie Morgan, manager of the nursery, has worked at the Shipley nursery since 2014, having previously held the deputy manager post at the group’s Bramhope site, and is also currently working towards a foundation degree in Early Years.

She said: “We are over the moon about the result.

“With it being our first inspection, we could not have asked for a better start.

“There is a lot of hard work and dedication from our staff, who work really hard together as a team to provide high quality care for the children.”

The Shipley nursery is one of eight nurseries in the Cliffe House group, which includes nurseries in Baildon, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Bramhope and Horsforth.

The Cliffe House group was founded in 1998 by husband and wife duo Della and Adrian Stocks, from Ilkley, to provide care for their three children.