A nursery in Penrhyncoch has been asked by inspectors to share its best practice after a glowing report praised how it “supports the development, welfare and education of children.”

Estyn and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) carried out a joint inspection of Plas Gogerddan Nursery in November, and a report released in January said that the nursery “has consistently excelled over the years and is a perfect example of how to maintain high quality.”

The nursery, which can cater for 58 children up to the age of four, was rated the top level of ‘excellent’ in all six inspections categories: well-being; learning; care and development; teaching and assessment; environment; and leadership and management.

The report said that children feel “happy and very safe” at the nursery and have a “strong sense of belonging.”

The report found that “nearly all children are making exceptional progress from their individual starting point and develop a variety of skills very effectively while playing and learning.”

Inspectors said that “practitioners support the children's health and well-being very effectively.”

“They respond very conscientiously and effectively to an appropriate variety of professional learning activities which has a positive effect on the children's development,” the report added.

“They make sure that the policies are in place very effectively.

“They have excellent understanding and knowledge in regards to safeguarding children.”

Nursery leaders “have effective and comprehensive measures, policies and procedures in place” and “ensure that the environment is secure and very well maintained, both indoors and outdoors,” the report found.

The nursery’s forest school, set in a woodland area a stone’s throw from the nursery is “one of the service's special features,” inspectors found.

CIW and Estyn have invited the nursery to prepare a case study on its work on education in the woodland area for dissemination on their websites.