We are delighted to announce that Homeland Day Nursery has received the highest Ofsted rating with OUTSTANDING in all areas in our recent inspection in August 2022.
At Homeland Day Nursery we recently celebrated our 30 year anniversary of caring for children from 0 – 5 years. We aim to inspire healthy, happy and confident children and are proud to be part of family-run children’s nursery business Atherton House Group, as one of five settings in the North West run by the Apel Family.
The Ofsted inspector was incredibly impressed by our provisions at Homeland Day Nursery,
“Children thrive in this wonderfully nurturing, homely environment, where they develop exceptionally close bonds with their key person. They become deeply engaged and enthusiastic in their play, supported by highly knowledgeable staff. The meticulous sequencing of children’s learning provides all children with a solid foundation on which to build further skills.”
At Homeland Day Nursery we have a focus on inspiring learning which is supported by staff specialising in a bespoke ‘Achieving Progress in Early Learning’ (APEL) curriculum incorporating the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the Montessori Method and Forest School approach. There is a specialised approach to outdoor learning that aims to develop confidence and self esteem through hands-on learning in woodland environments,
“Children have access to a thoughtfully-planned and well-resourced outdoor area, where they learn about nature first-hand. Children use binoculars to watch the birds feeding in trees from the bird-watching hut and become immersed in planting their own seeds and vegetables within the forest school site. This provides superb real-life opportunities to plant, grow and care for other living things.”
We know that a key part of the success of Homeland Day Nursery is down to the caring and motivated staff team working with the children which was recognised by the Ofsted inspector,
“Staff have exceptionally high expectations of all children and work hard to implement an ambitious, bespoke curriculum which is designed to reflect the individuality of children. The early years teacher supports staff to effectively implement the ambitious, bespoke curriculum which is designed to reflect the individuality of children across the setting.”
With development and progression encouraged with the staff team, Homeland Day Nursery is proud to have a long-standing team of practitioners who have been with the setting for many years, which supports continuity for children as well as colleagues,
“Leaders place a great emphasis on the emotional well-being of staff by offering opportunities for team building and well-being events. Staff are actively encouraged and supported to enhance their qualifications by attaining early years teacher status and forest school practitioner qualifications. In return, staff retention is excellent, and the team are incredibly supportive of each other. Staff are encouraged to share aspects of their outstanding practice. They learn from each other in order to ensure consistency and continually build upon their impressive skills.”
Alice Apel, Director of Atherton House Group shared:
“Homeland Day Nursery really is a ‘home from home’. Staff, children, families and visitors all benefit from it’s truly warm and welcoming atmosphere. I am so very proud of all the hard working staff members, led by Manager Lisa Roberts and her Deputies Siobhan Slater and Kirsty Boyd. Everyone has worked tirelessly to maintain the highest of standards and it is so pleasing to see that all the hard work has paid off. It is great to know that each and every child has a fantastic experience whilst with us at Homeland, reaching their potential ahead of moving on to school.”
To get in touch with the nursery please contact Lisa Roberts, Nursery Manager by email on: lisa.roberts@homelanddaynursery.co.uk or telephone: 0161 929 1811.
Read the full Ofsted report here: reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY307051