A nursery has been praised in its first Ofsted report since opening.

Little Shoes Nursery at St Marys Catholic Church, Surrenden Road, Brighton, was rated good by the watchdog following an inspection on October 11.

Inspectors commended staff for promoting positive behaviour, independence and its safeguarding of children in their care.

“Throughout the nursery, children behave well and generally show a good attitude to learning,” the report said.

“Staff regularly remind them of the rules, which helps to promote positive behaviour.

“Children benefit from teaching that gradually builds on what they know and can do.

“For instance, during mealtimes, staff gently guide babies to serve their own food.

“Toddlers begin to manage this with some support from staff, and older children are able to do this on their own. This helps children to develop their independence skills.

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“Staff observe children's progress to identify what they need to learn next. For instance, when staff recognise that children need support to regulate their behaviour, they teach children about different emotions. This helps children to name how they are feeling and to understand how their behaviour may impact on others.

“Leaders and staff act promptly when they have concerns about children's development.

“Staff plan activities based on children's interests. They build on these activities to support children in different areas of learning.

“Staff have good safeguarding knowledge. They recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, and they know the procedures to follow to raise concerns.”

To improve, the nursery was told to “strengthen activities to ensure they target the individual needs of children more precisely and support them to fully engage in their learning” and “encourage more effective communication sharing between staff about children's needs for the day to enable these to be met effectively”.

The nursery currently cares for 31 children up to the age of four.

It registered in 2022 and operates from the Cassidy Pastoral Centre, self-contained premises at the back of St Mary's Catholic Church.

Ofsted said this was the first routine inspection the provider received since the Covid-19 pandemic began.