PARENTS say their toddlers “thrive” at a Southend Nursery which has been commended by Ofsted.

Heaps of praise have been given to Centre Place Nursery, in Prospect Close, after the regulator rated it “good” following an inspection last month.

The day care centre has 83 children enrolled, and 11 staff members employed, with the report, published on Thursday saying how they “really understand the children’s needs”.

It stated: “The dedicated manager has an exceptionally good understanding of the context of the nursery and how she can best support children and their families.

“She recognises that each child has unique experiences and plans a curriculum that endeavours to close gaps in children's knowledge, based on their starting points.

“Additionally, she focuses on staff well-being to enable them to face the challenges of their roles. In return, staff feel well-supported through many training opportunities and regular supervisions.

“Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extremely well. They precisely tailor their interactions to suit each child's individual needs.”

At the time of the inspection, it was the first routine visit the nursery received since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Even though children show resilience and try and work things out for themselves, staff “do not consistently reinforce children’s growing understanding of keeping themselves healthy”.

The report added: “Children show good levels of independence. They are eager to show the inspector how they can use the water dispenser.

“However, staff do not consistently reinforce children's growing understanding of keeping themselves healthy. For example, occasionally, they do not remind children to wash their hands before eating.”

It goes on to say that staff “do not enable children to express their own ideas and creativity during adult-led activities”.

The Echo has contacted Centre Place Nursery for a comment.

The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, all year round except for bank holidays, Christmas holidays and staff training days.

It also provides early education for two, three, and four-year-old children.

For more information about Centre Place Nursery, please visit: eyalliance.org.uk/centre-place-nursery.