Babraham Nursery receives outstanding Ofsted report and celebrates opening of new facilities

Babraham Nursery receives outstanding Ofsted report and celebrates opening of new facilities

Babraham Nursery receives outstanding Ofsted report and celebrates opening of new facilities

On Saturday 16th April the Babraham Nursery officially opened its new extension and hosted the Annual ‘Dragon Hunt’ for families in its landscaped grounds. The Nursery, which recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary, has also this month received an ‘outstanding’ grading in an Ofsted inspection, consolidating the top-rated ’outstanding’ Ofsted report of 2007.

Since opening its doors in 1990 with just three children, Babraham’s Nursery has flourished and now cares for up to 90 children with 28 members of staff. The Nursery has received a number of awards, reflecting its great success and recognising the exemplary standards in care and education that the Nursery maintains. Its management committee and the Babraham Institute are continually striving to make improvements to fully meet the needs of the children and families, demonstrated through the new extension costing around £400,000.

Alison Bishop, Manager of Babraham’s Nursery said, “We are all really pleased and proud to have received a grading of 'Outstanding' in our recent Ofsted inspection, the whole staff team continually strives to meet the individual needs of all the children for whom we care and their families. The new extension was built to improve the Nursery’s facilities for today and the future. Our drive to continually improve is evident in both the building and our Ofsted report.”

The inspection report described that, 'Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are thriving at this exceptional setting. They are extremely well supported and benefit from a team of enthusiastic and highly dedicated staff who have an excellent understanding of each child's individual needs. Children are highly valued and are key in shaping the provision of activities. This ensures each one is making very good progress towards the early learning goals appropriate to their age, ability and starting points.’

The nursery was the brain child of the former Director of the Babraham Institute, who recognised the need to help new parents stay working at the Institute by providing top quality day care for their children. It is now a key factor in the Institute’s ability to recruit and retain the best scientists and is also proving an attractive facility for employees of companies based in Babraham’s Bioincubator Buildings.

In addition to the excellent new facilities provided by the extension, great care was taken over the design and landscaping to further enhance the setting. It is a cedar clad building with sliding doors opening directly onto the garden, which really bring the outside indoors. The new building will be used for the Pre-school group, breakfast club and for our Fun Pack Playscheme, which takes place during school holidays for 5-14 year olds. All meals will also be taken in the new extension. The celebrations commenced at 10.00 am and then children of the nursery explored the grounds to find dragons carefully hidden amongst the foliage on what was a fun-filled family day.

Contact details:
Photographs will be available on request from:
Alison Bishop, Nursery Manager
Email: alison.bishop@babraham.ac.uk 

The Knowledge Exchange Office
Email:  kec@babraham.ac.uk
Tel:       +44 (0)1223 496206

The Babraham Institute
Babraham Research Campus
Cambridge CB22 3AT
​United Kingdom
 
Notes to Editors:
 
About the Babraham Institute:
The Babraham Institute undertakes world-class life sciences research to generate new knowledge of biological mechanisms underpinning ageing, development and the maintenance of health. Our research focuses on cellular signalling, gene regulation and the impact of epigenetic regulation at different stages of life. By determining how the body reacts to dietary and environmental stimuli and manages microbial and viral interactions, we aim to improve wellbeing and support healthier ageing. The Institute is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, through an Institute Core Capability Grant and also receives funding from other UK research councils, charitable foundations, the EU and medical charities.
 
Website: www.babraham.ac.uk
 
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £450 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, health and well-being and pharmaceutical sectors. BBSRC carries out its mission by funding internationally competitive research, providing training in the biosciences, fostering opportunities for knowledge transfer and innovation and promoting interaction with the public and other stakeholders on issues of scientific interest in universities, centres and institutes.
 
Website: bbsrc.ukri.org/
 
Babraham Bioscience Technologies Ltd is responsible for managing the Babraham Research Campus’ Bioincubator. BBT brings together all the elements to support innovation and enable the successful exploitation of research in the biomedical sector based on technologies emanating from the Babraham Institute and bioventures relocating to the campus. BBT has taken a prominent role regionally, initiating and leading partnerships to promote knowledge and skills flow and has established a reputation for successfully translating innovative science into viable business opportunities through partnerships for wealth creation.

​Website: www.babraham.com