Maldon nursery Just Imagine is Good in Ofsted inspection

Just Imagine is a day nursery in Highlands Drive, Maldon, offering full day care on a non-domestic premises for children aged between two and 11 years old.

The nursery was registered in 2019 and employs 12 members of childcare staff, eight of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

At its inspection in September, Ofsted determined the nursery was Good for its quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Ofsted bosses said children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery and settle quickly, engaging in positive social interactions with each other and showing care and concern for each other’s feelings.

Children form strong, caring bonds with staff, officials said, who create an “extremely enabling environment that supports children to develop their independence, creativity and confidence”.

Good - A nursery in Maldon is celebrating its latest Ofsted rating (Image: Just Imagine Maldon)

Staff immerse themselves in children’s play and bring learning to life for children, which means the youngsters show high levels of engagement, listening and attention skills.

Ofsted said staff also promote children’s communication and language well, adding new words to their vocabulary and modelling how to use the words in context.

However, the inspector noted staff working with younger children are less confident and do not always respond to children’s ideas in the moment, such as during story time when they ask questions about the book.

“This means some opportunities to extend children’s learning are missed,” the inspector said, and wrote the nursery should support staff in the toddler room to consistently extend children’s learning, thinking and interests so all children make the best possible progress.

The inspector said nursery leaders carefully consider what children need to learn and why, and that they are passionate and dedicated to their roles.

Staff support parents effectively to contribute to children’s learning at nursery and at home, while keeping parents well informed about their children’s nursery days and progress.

Ofsted said leaders carefully evaluate the individual needs of children, investing in extra resources that enrich children’s learning experiences and effectively supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Nursery manager Sophie Killick said: "I am incredibly proud of our team and what we were able to showcase on our Ofsted Day.

"I believe the report shows perfectly the importance of the children in our care and the lengths we will go to as a team to ensure that we are providing a safe and secure environment for each and every one of them.

"I am extremely fortunate to have such a fantastic team that are dedicated in their roles and the journey we have taken over the last three years is evident in what we aim to provide to all of our families."

For more, visit Maldon Day Nursery | Just Imagine Day Nursery.