Outstanding rating for Bright Horizons First Direct Stourton Day Nursery and Preschool

first direct Stourton Day Nursery and Preschool, run by Bright Horizons and situated on Wakefield Road, Leeds has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ judgement by Ofsted in a glowing report which praised the quality of teaching, effectiveness of the leadership and parent partnerships.

The nursery is operated by Bright Horizons on behalf of first direct. Workplace nurseries are a fantastic way for employees to access high quality, affordable childcare that complements their work patterns, like first direct has provided the onsite nursery for a number of years, with a large proportion of employees utilising the service.

The Ofsted report states: Children make excellent progress at this setting. Highly skilled staff have an exceptional understanding of what children know and what they need to know next. Awe and wonder are at the core of the setting, and this means that children are curious and eager to learn. They spend large amounts of time deeply immersed in the broad array of learning opportunities that are on offer. This means that all children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make rapid progress from their starting points and are ready for the next stage of learning.”

The early years Workplace Nursery setting drew strong praise in the report for how the nursery team provide children with 'magic moments' to inspire them to learn new things. Leaders and staff are confident in what children know and what they need to learn next. As a result of this, they plan learning which is effective and tailored to children's individual needs allowing them to make accelerated progress across all areas;

The report also highlighted how the nursery partnership with parents and carers makes this a truly outstanding learning facility. Parents say that the setting is 'life changing' for children. Parents know what children are doing at nursery and are given ideas about how they can help with this at home. This means that children progress well due to the extensive support they receive. Staff listen to information from parents about things that are happening in children's lives. They utilise this when planning activities, for instance, they make 'Worry Dolls' with children to support their emotional wellbeing.”

first direct CEO, Chris Pitt said: Our people are what makes first direct the best bank in the UK, and the array of company benefits - like the onsite nursery - ensures we retain these great people. We're delighted that our nursery has secured an Outstanding rating; it means our people can leave their young ones in a place they know is safe and friendly. We hope this will encourage more people to consider joining our fantastic team.

Gail Jones is the Nursery Manager at Stourton who leads the passionate team of early years professionals at the setting, which is located within the grounds of first direct Stourton, making it an ideal setting for parents working for the bank. Gail has been working in childcare for 30 years and has earned some notable accolades of her own during her career including Awards of Excellence from Bright Horizons in 2019 for Exceptional Care and Education and for Client Partnership.

It's a privilege to work with an organisation like first direct who understand the importance of employee benefits that support families with their work life balance. Our ethos and our vision here at the nursery is to provide outstanding childcare for all our children and families,” said Gail Jones. We first gained an outstanding rating back in August 2013 and we are so proud to continue to maintain this outcome. Receiving an ‘Outstanding’ is a recognition of all the hard work that my team has put in to ensure that every area of care and education is provided at the highest level.”

Bright Horizons first direct Stourton Day Nursery and Preschool is a Workplace Nursery offering high-quality, on-site childcare for first direct employees. More information on Workplace Nurseries and how they can be tailored to complement the size and shape of every organisation can be found via the Bright Horizons website