Member Article

YMCA Black Country Group celebrates exceptional Ofsted results at two of its nurseries

A Black Country charity is celebrating after it secured exceptional Ofsted results for two of its nurseries.

YMCA Black Country Group, which supports thousands of local people every year, saw its YMCA Greets Green Day Nursery move from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’, reflecting the collective efforts of staff who consistently demonstrate their understanding that ‘each child matters’.

In particular, the report highlighted the nurseries exceptional care practices, which allow children to ‘flourish’.

The good news continued this month, with its Hayes Lane Nursery in Stourbridge also securing a ‘Good’ rating, a significant achievement considering it was only taken over during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are thrilled with the Ofsted results achieved by our two nurseries,” said Steve Bavington, CEO of YMCA Black Country Group.

“These achievements are down to our dedicated and hard-working teams, who show care and compassion in their work every single day. These are the values we live by, so to read the reports and have it echoed back to us from a third party, makes us all incredibly proud.”

The Ofsted reports highlight that both nurseries offer an ambitious curriculum, a strong focus on communication and language skills and staff who are perceptive and know each child well. This includes using innovative ways of positively interacting with children with special educational needs.

Inspectors also said that children have great fun outdoors, enjoy songs and stories and are able to develop their confidence and independence, whilst strong relationships with parents are in place.

Mel Braden, Executive Head of Childcare and Quality at YMCA Black Country Group, said: “With our bespoke curriculum fully embedded across all settings and plans to add to our network of nurseries in the coming months, it’s an exciting time to be part of YMCA’s Early Years team in the Black Country.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our journey of excellence, creating a space where children thrive, grow, and develop a love for learning.”

YMCA Black Country Group is looking to build on the positive Ofsted results by issuing an urgent appeal to local businesses and volunteers to help it improve some of the gardens at its network of nurseries.

Companies and individuals are being asked to donate time, resources or to raise money, in order to give children outdoor spaces where they can continue their learning and, importantly, play games and have fun with their friends.

Steve concluded: “Black Country people are so generous, and we already have many good links with businesses who support our work across the region.

“We’d love to hear from any firms who want to part-fund and take on a team building challenge to help transform some of our nursery gardens.”

For further information, please visit www.ymcabc.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .