Our Commitment to Outstanding Early Years Childcare

At Grandir UK, children are at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to delivering exceptional Early Years education and care across all our settings so children can learn, grow and thrive.

Our latest GrandPod episode delves into our unwavering commitment to Outstanding practice, through insightful conversations with Heather Young (COO of Grandir UK), Sara Coffey (Director of Early Years Regulation and Compliance), and Jayne Harker (Nursery Manager at Ruddington Day Nursery and Early Years specialist). With Ruddington Day Nursery achieving an impressive Ofsted Outstanding rating four times in a row, their approach serves as a shining example of what is possible when a passionate team comes together to create excellence in Early Years education.

In this blog, we highlight the key takeaways from our latest podcast episode. You can listen to or watch the full podcast here.

The foundations of an Outstanding nursery setting

Several elements contribute to achieving and maintaining an Outstanding Early Years education setting. Our experts, Sara and Jayne, share their valuable insights:

1. Strong leadership and a shared vision

Strong leadership is a crucial foundation for an Outstanding nursery. It provides a clear vision and a collective drive for excellence in everything the nursery does. Nursery Manager and Early Years specialist Jayne emphasises the importance of ensuring that all staff, from apprentices to management, are aligned in their goals, continuously improving, and striving towards the same objectives.

Sara, Grandir UK’s Director of Early Years Regulation and Compliance, shared her insight on this: “I think that leaders at all levels are ambitious for what they want that nursery to deliver every day, what their children are going to be exposed to and supported with.”

2. Dynamic and responsive learning environments

An Outstanding nursery is one where children’s natural curiosity and learning journeys are nurtured and supported every day in a stimulating learning environment that prioritises children’s safety. For example, the team at Ruddington encourages ‘teachable moments,’ where practitioners follow children’s lines of inquiry rather than directing play in a conformed and rigid manner.

Sara provided an amazing example of this: “You might see Charlie climbing under a table. In another setting, I might hear a practitioner say, ‘Come out of there, Charlie, don’t climb under the table.’ But in this setting (Ruddington), which is Outstanding and exemplary, you would see that practitioner completely align with Charlie and say, ‘Charlie, what’s it like to be under there? Does it feel dark? Would you like to make a den?” It’s all about meeting children at their level and prompting further discussion and learning.”

This engaging approach of meeting children at their level ties into the ‘Inspire Me’ module of Grandir UK’s unique ME-Model, which outlines the behaviours, attitudes and practices our nursery teams’ model with children daily.

3. Nurturing secure attachments

Children thrive when they feel safe, secure and connected to their caregivers. When children feel emotionally secure, they are more confident, independent, and eager to learn. Throughout the GrandPod episode, Jayne emphasises how important it is for team members to form strong bonds and meaningful attachments with children, sharing insightful advice she often gives to her team: “I tell my team: No matter how long you need to hold a baby or walk with a young child to comfort them, do it. Secure attachments are essential—without them, children won’t feel safe, happy, or ready to learn.”

4. Continuous professional development & reflective practice

An Outstanding nursery is forever evolving. Regular mentoring, reflection and training are essential to keep nursery teams performing at their best. Jayne shares how training is deeply embedded into their daily practice, with staff frequently discussing pedagogy (Pedagogy here means how we teach young children, and all the things that our practitioners do to foster children’s learning and development), child development, and best practice.

She highlighted: “When we see teachable moments or I see a teachable moment that I think one of my younger staff hasn’t recognised, we model it. We talk about which part of the EYFS it’s hitting, so they build their knowledge and understand how it aligns.”

5. Building strong relationships with families

We believe that families play a crucial role in a child’s development. Our nurseries focus on fostering exceptional connections with families through strong parent partnership, ensuring they feel included in their child’s learning journey every step of the way – this is done in person and via our Grandir UK app.

On this topic, Sara commented to Jayne that, “Families absolutely recognise the professionalism of your team and seek their advice, counsel and opinions and support.”

Leading the way in Early Years excellence

Achieving and maintaining an Outstanding Early Years setting requires dedication, collaboration, and a genuine passion for Early Years education. The best nurseries provide children with everything they need to feel safe, nurtured, and inspired—laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. We are proud to support all our unique nurseries in their journeys to excellence, ensuring that every child we care for receives the highest quality of care and education.

As Ofsted inspections move towards new inspection frameworks later in 2025, we remain committed to staying ahead of these changes and continuing to provide the best outcomes for our children and families. We look forward to sharing more insights in future GrandPod episodes and supporting our nursery teams in their pursuit of excellence.

If you’re looking for a cost-effective nursery that’s going to provide your child with exceptional Early Years education and care in a truly loving home-from-home setting, our family of Grandir UK nurseries are a fantastic option. You can find your nearest nursery here.

Listen to the full interview here!

Interested in listening to more of our latest GrandPod episode? Then you can listen to the full interview on our YouTube channel,  Spotify and Amazon Music.

Stay tuned for more discussions and thank you to all of our dedicated teams who positively contribute to children’s growth and make Outstanding practice a reality every day!