Dimples Day Nursery, Dartford, becomes first in Kent to receive six Outstanding Ofsted reports

A pre-school has become the first in Kent to receive a sixth Outstanding Ofsted report.

Dimples Day Nursery in Green Street Green Road, Dartford, achieved this record following its latest Ofsted inspection when the family-run forest school received an unannounced visit from the education watchdog.

The nursery, set in eight acres, has 150 children a day and makes use of the local woods and community.

They said staff do not use written planning and observation, believing that practitioners need to engage with the children rather than write about them.

There is a large basement for when the weather is too dangerous to play outdoors, and each of the building's 10 rooms runs as a mini-nursery with a team leader, deputy, and nursery practitioners.

Sandra Roles, owner and manager of Dimples Day Nursery, said: "Maintaining our Outstanding isn't easy. We reflect, learn, plan and improve on a daily basis.

"We believe that each and every little person who we care for has the right to the very best early years experience and we strive to deliver this. You don't get a second chance.

"90% of their brain develops under our watch. What a responsibility. However, nothing worth having in this world comes easy."

Sandra also praised her staff, saying: "Having the right team is incredibly important. I need like-minded, creative, compassionate, dedicated, skilful, knowledgeable and reliable practitioners who sing from the same song sheet but bring their own joie de vivre to every day at nursery.

"When I first trained and researched opening a nursery, I visited many nurseries. Two that stood out. One owner said ‘staff come and go so work them hard and get the most out of them’.

"Another owner said ‘your staff team are your most important asset. Treat them well and they will stay. You can’t do it without them’. Guess which one I listened to?

"I love my staff. I look after them as much as I can, pay them as well as I can, have high ratios of staff to children, train them well, mentor them well, pull them up when things aren’t as good as expected and praise them when they are wow."

The nursery's motto is "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing", which Sandra says rings true every day.

She continued: "Our expectations for our children are always very high and they have an enormous array of resources and activities to choose from. Parents often don’t believe how far they can trek and how capable they are.

"We truly value the importance of risk taking. No soft pour play surfaces in our gardens. We believe children learn from a tumble and grazed knee and that they are more careful next time."

The nursery celebrated its 20th anniversary last July, with a big party full of old, current and new Dimples' children and their families.

The Mayor of Dartford Paul Cutler attended to help plant a memorial plum tree and unveil a plaque.

Sandra was presented with pictures of the children on acrylic to hang in the nursery hallways, as part of an ongoing project.

The school has also recently completed an extension, which includes a sensory room, a new pre-school room, an extension to one of its baby rooms and a larger kitchen.

The Ofsted report said: "Throughout this vibrant and exciting nursery, children spend their days immersed in the serious business of exploring, investigating and learning. The atmosphere is alive with the sound of laughter, animated discussions and warm interactions.

"Children of all ages form strong, trusting relationships with staff. All children display wonderful social skills and impeccable behaviour. They are polite, considerate and extremely friendly."

Inspectors praised the use of storytelling, the support for children with special educational needs and the "endless opportunities" provided to help little ones learn.