Hartlepool nursery Playmates II graded ‘good’ by Ofsted less than two years since ‘inadequate’ rating

Playmates II, at 55-57 Murray Street, was rated “good” in all areas following a visit by education watchdog Ofsted in February.

The overall “good” mark is the second highest of four grades with “inadequate” the lowest.

Inspectors have praised staff for working “hard” since the previous inspection in March 2022 when the nursery was rated as “requires improvement”.

The latest report said that children are “curious learners” who behave well and “develop strong friendships with one another” while staff offer “consistent praise and encouragement”.

It said: “Staff offer consistent praise and encouragement, rejoicing as children master their new achievements. This helps to promote children's self-esteem. Toddlers develop more confidence in their own abilities and show an increasing level of independence, learning to do things for themselves.”

Ofsted noted that “partnership with parents is strong” and they are “complimentary of the care their children receive”.

The report added: “The manager and staff team have worked hard since the previous inspection. This is reflected in how the curriculum is implemented across the setting. The manager meets regularly with staff and has action plans in place to help them to evaluate the overall quality of the setting.”

However, inspectors also recommended that the nursery should “focus time on observing staffs practice to swiftly identify and address any emerging weaknesses” and review transition times.

The nursery was previously judged to be “outstanding” as recently as 2015 before slipping to “inadequate” in October 2021.

Playmates II has been approached for comment.