Outstanding rating from Ofsted for Mama Bear's in Torquay

Staff at a Torquay day nursery are celebrating their promotion from a ‘Good’ to an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating following their latest inspection by the governing body Ofsted. 

Mama Bear’s Day Nursery & Pre-School at St. Margarets School in Barewell Road, Torquay, was rated outstanding in all areas including the quality of education provided, leadership and management, behaviour, attitudes and personal development.

The rating means that three of the five Mama Bear’s settings in Devon now hold the highest possible rating from Ofsted. 

Mama Bear’s Barewell Road nursery manager, Vicki Byrne, said: “We are so very pleased that Ofsted has assessed our nursery and pre-school as Outstanding.

“My team are a wonderful and committed group of people who are determined to provide the very best quality early education to the children we support, and to move from a good grade to an outstanding grade reflects how hard they work and the quality of care they deliver.

“We were particularly pleased with comments in the report about our staff being commendable role models and inspiring the children to exhibit “superb behaviour” in being consistently kind and considerate of each other. 

“The inspector also observed how carefully the nursery environment had been planned to support little ones to flourish in their play, and how enthusiastic children are to learn while confidently exploring resources independently.

“And I was delighted she recognised what “extremely” confident communicators our children are, and praised my team for providing a language-rich environment that supports their growing vocabulary and understanding.

“I know my colleagues purposefully use new words when playing with children which encourages their confidence in using new vocabulary independently, so it was great she had the chance to observe that.”

Barewell Road nursery has been providing nursery and pre-school childcare for the local community since 2012 as Mama Bears with over 200 local children having received their educational grounding there before progressing to ‘big school.’

The nursery operates within a purpose-built setting in the grounds of St Margaret's Academy. This means those children who eventually enter Reception class at St Margaret’s have the advantage of already being familiar with the environment, and they are often able to progress within existing friendship groups.

Vicki Byrne said: “Mama Bear’s nurseries are lovely places to work and we’re keen to hear from people considering a career move. We have some great opportunities both for people who already have lots of Early Years’ experience under their belt, and for those who are either just starting in the world of work or are interested in moving into the sector.”

The family-run Mama Bear’s Day Nurseries provide care for children from three months to five years, with 24 settings across Devon, Somerset and Bristol, providing children with their first vital level of education to give them a head-start when they start at primary school.