In its inaugural Ofsted inspection, Make Waves Nursery in Bideford has achieved a “Good” rating across all key areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
This achievement is a significant milestone for the nursery, which registered earlier this year in 2024 and caters to children aged three months to five years, with 53 children currently on roll.
Inspectors praised the nursery’s warm and nurturing environment, where children are greeted with “a nurturing approach [that] supports young children to flourish and promotes emotional security.”
The report highlighted how staff engage parents by sharing key information to support each day and how babies are gently settled with cuddles, creating a reassuring atmosphere for both children and parents.
The nursery offers a thoughtfully designed curriculum tailored to children’s interests. “Leaders develop an interesting, broad curriculum. Each area in the room is set up to cover the seven areas of learning,” the report noted.
Staff use their understanding of each child’s abilities to support development through playful learning, such as water play activities where children explore size, weight, and volume. The nursery takes prompt action to address developmental gaps, ensuring children are ready for their next stage of learning.
Children’s behaviour and attitudes also stood out, with staff fostering confidence and friendliness among the children. The report emphasised: “Children are confident and friendly. They engage visitors in conversation and invite them into their play.” High expectations for behaviour, coupled with consistent reminders such as using “walking feet” indoors, help maintain a positive and orderly environment. This approach, reinforced by praise, creates a supportive space where children thrive.
Another strength of Make Waves Nursery is its focus on fostering independence and self-care. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for everyday tasks like setting tables and clearing their plates after meals. These practices instil essential life skills and a sense of responsibility. “Staff encourage children to self-serve their meals… supporting children to manage everyday tasks for themselves,” the report highlighted.
Staff interactions were commended, particularly for promoting communication and language development. “Staff listen carefully to children, repeat what they say, teach new words and correct pronunciation,” inspectors noted, providing examples such as introducing descriptive words like “spiky” and “hard” during water play with pine cones. However, the report suggested there is room for improvement in ensuring quieter children are fully engaged during group activities.
The nursery’s ethos of teamwork and professional development was another notable strength. “The management team creates an ethos of effective teamwork. Staff comment that they enjoy working at the nursery and say that they feel valued,” the report said. Staff benefit from regular meetings and training opportunities to enhance their skills.
Partnerships with parents were described as strong, with staff sharing detailed updates about each child’s day through an online platform. Parents expressed satisfaction with the nursery, describing the staff as “kind, caring, and supportive.”
Operating from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, the nursery offers 65 places and provides funded early education. It is managed by Make Waves Swim School Ltd, and its team includes seven staff members, all of whom hold appropriate qualifications, including one with qualified teacher status. It has a large outdoor area with both grass and paved surfaces for children to explore various types of outdoor learning and play.
Inspectors identified only one area for improvement: “Support staff to develop and adapt group activities to enable all children, particularly quieter children, to be able to fully engage and gain the most out of the learning experience.”