A nursery in Royton which has been described as creating a 'home-from-home environment' has been praised by the education watchdog in a report.

Heyside Pre-School in St Marks Church on Oldham Road, Heyside, has looked after children between two and four since 1995 and has historically been a 'good' provider since its first Ofsted inspection more than 20 years ago.

In a follow-up inspection of the premises in March this year, inspector Luke Heaney revealed the nursery has maintained its good standards and had plenty of praise about the setting and staff.

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Mr Heaney said staff create a "home-from-home environment" where the children "feel happy and safe" and greet staff "with cuddles".

The youngsters "cannot contain their excitement" to play with their friends and have high levels of confidence and a strong sense of belonging.

To this end, they look at books that reflect different feelings and can explain what it takes to be a "kind friend".

Mr Heaney said this means the children "behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning".

Older children "immerse themselves into deep imagination", playing the role of chefs and pretending to make food and discuss ingredients while younger children look for bugs and "giggle" while splashing in water.

The youngsters are also taught the importance of respect, acceptance and tolerance, and show care and kindness towards others.

The children engage in fundraising and charity work, such as collecting food for the local food bank and learning about people who are less fortunate.

The "ambitious" curriculum is especially good at helping the children "relish" reading, which the nursery has improved further by redeveloping the play environment.

Their large-muscle skills are also supported "incredibly well", he continued, as Heyside Pre-school provides outdoor activities such as a climbing frame and assault course which helps them to learn new skills.

The youngsters enjoy learning about the world around them and who they are and where they come from, which Mr Heaney said helps them to develop a "good awareness of what it is like to live in modern Britain".

As for care practices, staff teach the children about living a healthy lifestyle, such as promoting fruit and vegetables as well as brushing their teeth.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as children who speak English as an additional language, are also well supported as staff monitor them "with rigour" and help them to make good progress.

Meanwhile, the inspector found staff support the children's personal, social and emotional development "well" as they encourage them to become independent.

The teachers also act as "good role models", he added, and they share high expectations for the children's achievements.

However, Mr Heaney found that while the curriculum is broad, staff do not give the same attention to detail when teaching mathematics.

This means some children's experience in concepts such as counting is not consistent.

In addition, the inspector found staff support children to become confident communicators most of the time but sometimes can ask children questions in "quick succession", which does not allow them enough time to respond and doesn't support their communication and language skills effectively.

To hike up the 'good' grade even further, he advised the preschool to refine mathematical concepts and allow children more time to think and respond to questions.

Got a story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk