A nursery in Carlisle has been rated 'Good' after a recent Ofsted inspection. 

Stone Eden Nursery School Limited, in Carlisle, received the grade after an inspection in November. No previous inspection score is noted.

The nursery employs 20 members of childcare staff, 12 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications from level two to level four.

The nursery opens from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged between two and four.

Stone Eden Nursery School's quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management were all rated as good.

The report reads: "Relationships between children and staff are a strength of this nursery. The wellestablished key-person system helps children to settle quickly and gain confidence. Firmly embedded routines further promote children's feelings of safety and security, as they fully understand what is expected of them.

"They excitedly make their way to the carpet after snack in anticipation of what is happening next. Children's confidence and trusting relationships with staff impact positively on their behaviour and attitudes to learning. Children are extremely well behaved and are keen, motivated and curious learners.

"Children make good progress. They enjoy opportunities to develop their large muscles as they climb, stretch and run and enjoy using the wheeled toys outside. As children move through the nursery, they develop well in their small-muscle skills, in excellent support of their later writing.

"Staff promote children's literacy skills well. They encourage younger children to explore the pictures by modelling lifting the flaps in the book. Older children benefit from repeated stories.

"They demonstrate their increasing comprehension of the storyline as they finish off lines or fill in gaps staff purposefully leave when reading the 'book of the week'. Children join in with songs daily, promoting their communication skills well."

Support for children with additional needs and/or disabilities is described as excellent.

It is suggested that they need to embed a sustained programme of professional development and strengthen the monitoring of the quality of provision in order to improve their grade at a future inspection.