NURSERY school leaders are celebrating lavish praise from the education watchdog.

Happy Days Club and Nursery School at Hermitage Primary School in Holmes Chapel was rated outstanding in every area assessed following an inspection at the end of April.

The rating is an improvement on the 'good' assessment by Ofsted following the club's inspection in May 2016.

Inspector Mary Henderson said: "Staff are enthusiastic, and demonstrate superb levels of care and warmth towards children. This significantly enhances children's ability to settle in quickly and become ready to learn.

"Staff develop exemplary relationships with parents. For instance, they provide parents with initial home visits. This ensures staff gain pertinent information about what each child already knows and can do from the outset.

"Staff skilfully use this information, alongside their own baseline assessments, to identify concise starting points for each child."

The inspector said staff consistently kept their child protection training updated, had an in-depth knowledge about how to protect the welfare of all children and were vigilant in checking all indoor and outdoor areas to ensure children's safety.

The report added: "Younger children are consistently challenged by the staff that care for them. Staff use highly innovative strategies to challenge older children's learning about the world around them.

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"For example, older children are encouraged to talk about their plants bring in from home. Staff support them exceptionally well as they use a range of questioning techniques and props to encourage their thinking.

"Children are highly motivated and take turns to speak. This promotes their readiness for school very well.

"Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding. All children are very well supported as they take manageable risks in their play. They move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas throughout the day.

"During such times, staff speak to children about the benefits of healthy eating. Children develop an exceedingly good understanding about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

"All children, including those with special educational needs, progress rapidly from their starting points. They thoroughly enjoy outings in the community, including visits to a home for the elderly, where they present their art work to the residents.

"This helps to promote children's emerging empathy for others. Younger children develop their love of books very well as they listen intently during story times.

"Older children develop an excellent 'can-do' attitude as they skilfully read, write their name and make marks using paints, crayons and chalks in the indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day."