Once upon a time, which has four nursery schools in Norwich, has received another Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ in all areas. Hot on the heels of its nursery located on White House Farm, its Wroxham Road setting achieved a similar rating following an Ofsted inspection on Friday, 7 February 2020.

Julie Banbury, owner and Director of Care and Education, said “To achieve two ‘Outstanding’ ratings in two of our settings within a matter of weeks of each other is a terrific achievement. We work incredibly hard to provide homely, safe and stimulating environments at all of our nursery schools, so I’m particularly pleased for our amazing team.”

The nursery on Wroxham Road was opened in 2007 and has maintained its ‘Outstanding’ rating having achieved a similar rating back in February 2015. Julie added “Although Ofsted’s rating criteria has changed considerably since 2015, I know that our practice has continually improved over the years. The inspector was here all day and did not make any recommendations as to what we need to do better. Wow.”

The Ofsted Inspector said “The manager and her deputy have a clear vision for the nursery. They strive to provide the very best opportunities for children, and they empower staff through highly focused professional development.”

Becky Potter, Deputy Nursery Manager, said “It can be daunting for our staff to be put under such intense scrutiny, but they went about their normal daily activities with confidence, enthusiasm and enjoyment. This is a magical place.”

Some of the key findings were:

• Children receive high levels of individual attention.
• Exciting learning themes are based on children’s interests.
• Staff talk about how much they enjoy working with young children.
• Children show impeccable behaviour.
• Staff talk in detail about what children know and can do, and they expertly tailor educational programmes to children’s needs.
• Parent partnerships are excellent.