Popular day nursery deemed ‘Excellent’ in all areas following pandemic improvements

A POPULAR day nursery was deemed ‘Excellent’ in all areas.

Toybox Children’s Nursery – based at Coleg Cambria Deeside – received an outstanding report from Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

The setting received an ‘Excellent’ rating in four categories – Wellbeing, Care and Development, Leadership and Management, and Environment – and no recommendations were given as standards are so high.

Caring for more than 90 children, Toybox Nursery Manager Ann Johnson and her 35-strong team were praised for delivering care that “promotes children’s wellbeing and ensures they are safe and secure”.

The report added: “These are services which are committed to ongoing improvement with many strengths, including significant examples of sector-leading practice and innovation.

“They deliver high quality care and support and are able to demonstrate they make a strong contribution to improving children’s well-being.

“Children are very happy and relish in their play and learning experiences, they learn respect and interact cooperatively with others, learning to share and show compassion.

“Staff interact positively with the children, supporting and encouraging them to be respectful and enjoy their experiences.

“People who run the setting have created a lovely environment that is very much based on children’s needs, comfort, and learning. It is equipped with resources that inspire children and help them become curious learners.

“The dedicated team of staff are managed well, ensuring children are provided with the best care possible.”

Responding to the CIW report, a delighted Ann, who has worked at Toybox for more than 30 years, said: “We are so pleased to see all our hard work has been recognised, we have a passionate, fully-qualified team here who go above and beyond every day – I am so proud of them.

“Numbers are increasing again following the pandemic – given a lot of the students were learning remotely and private clients were working from home – so we are busier than ever, and this report makes us strive to do even better.

“We thank CIW for their time and support and look forward to unveiling new ideas and facilities in the year ahead.”

Among them will be the revamped outdoor play area, which features safety surfaces, fencing, wooden furniture and equipment, funded by Flintshire County Council’s Small Grants Scheme.