A nursery run by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for its staff has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by Oftsted, the Government’s regulator.

Inspectors visited the First Steps Nursery, at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Barrack Road, Exeter, on Tuesday 1 November. In their report they gave an ‘Outstanding’ rating in all categories:

• The quality of education
• Behaviour and attitudes
• Personal development
• Leadership and management

In their report, the inspectors said: “Children settle very quickly when they arrive as they are very secure and confident.

“Staff skilfully support children in a warm and caring manner. Leaders are very ambitious for all children to succeed. They have designed an extremely well-sequenced curriculum. It brilliantly supports each individual child's interests and stage of development.”

The report goes on to say: “The managers are passionate and knowledgeable about providing children with rich and meaningful experiences. They want the very best for all children. They inspire staff and support them to attend training and develop their practice.”

Chris Tidman, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Royal Devon, said: “This is a magnificent achievement due to many factors and challenges that have been faced by the team over the last two years. It is really important to acknowledge that the level of scrutiny and investigation is far more rigorous in modern audits, so to receive an Outstanding is amazing.

“This is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff, who are passionate about ensuring that the children in their care have the best start in life.”

The team at First Steps Nursery can support places for up to 129 children, aged from three months to four years. It was last inspected in 2017. It opens from 7am to 6pm.