A NURSERY in Brighouse has been rated Outstanding following its first visit from Ofsted.

Smarties Nursery, based in Field Top Road, was praised by inspectors for the emotional support it gives children.

The report said: “Staff support children’s emotional well-being exceptionally well.

“Babies and young children thrive and build extremely secure emotional attachments to their key persons.

“The managers offer a wide range of learning opportunities for staff. Managers are highly motivated to be involved in numerous groups, networks and partnerships that improve staff knowledge and skills continually.

“Staff provide activities that are highly appealing and precisely meet the learning needs and preferences of individual children. Children enjoy continuous access to the outdoor area, and the free flow of play ensures children are provided with every opportunity to enrich their learning experiences.

“Staff have established highly effective partnerships with parents. From the very beginning, parents are encouraged to be involved in the assessment process and make significant contributions to children’s learning both in the nursery and at home.

“They speak very highly of the nursery and the staff.

“Staff promote children’s independence extremely well. Babies lead their own learning across different provisional areas, and they get their own coats when they choose to go outside.

“Older children are highly sufficient in managing their self-care skills and are encouraged to manage their own risks in a safe and inclusive environment.

“The managers work closely with local schools. The integrated approach offers children a wealth of learning opportunities.

“For example, children use the science department of the local high school to conduct exciting science experiments.”