First class report is all “good” at Finkley Weeke Nursery
A Winchester nursery and pre-school that is renowned for its creative and fun-filled approach to childcare has received further major recognition and been praised for staff’s encouragement for children to “have a go”.
Oftsted’s first report into the Finkley Weeke Nursery, on Fleming Road, sees the 40-place facility, which opened on 2021, attain “Good” status across the four key areas; Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development and Leadership and Management.
There are 10 staff employed, seven of which hold appropriate childcare qualifications from level 2 to level 6 and it receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.
The news follows national recognition in the summer of 2022, when the team made the Top 20 list in over 2,000 entries with “Day Nurseries” – a leading review site of nurseries and schools.
On that occasion, the nursery, which is part of the award-winning Finkley Nurseries group, was assessed on elements including facilities, outside space, equipment, learning, resources, ICT, activities, care, staff, food, and nutrition, as well as management, cleanliness, and value for money.
This time around, as well as attaining “Good” marks across the board from Oftsed, particular praise was given to how settled the children are, the staff’s; ‘comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of each child's development to move them on in their learning’ and how well they; “work well as a team to meet children's individual care and learning needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
Staff were also heralded as; “excellent role models for children”…who “consistently engage in children's play and encourage them to 'have a go'.
The facility itself was noted for its “comfortable space for children to engage in one-to-one and small-group activities, supporting children to develop their vocabulary and ability to concentrate during activities.”
Away from the setting, praise was given for how children “enjoy regular outings in the local community that help them to learn about the world…they often visit a local farm, where they learn about animals and how to care for them.”
Indeed, on the day of the inspection, children were excited about an outing to the local train station, where they learned about travel and transport.
Nursery manager, Lottie Frogley said;
‘We pride ourselves on being one big family and this shone through to the Inspector, as she commented on how welcome she felt and how much she enjoyed her day with us!
‘We all work tirelessly to ensure we provide our Children and Families with an experience they can get at no other nursery.’
Another manager at Finkley Weeke, which is now accepting registrations for September, Vanessa Slatcher, concluded;
‘We are all very proud that our first Ofsted report was so positive with “Good” across all four applicable categories. We strive to ensure that every day is full of wonder and excitement for our children.
‘They thrive and grow into independent learners through play and adventure. We are so proud of our Team and what we have created here and to have that recognised is wonderful.’
Ends