A DERBY nursery has been told it is "vibrant and stimulating" and given an "outstanding" rating by a Government inspector.

La Petite Academy is one of fewer than ten per cent of nurseries nationally to be given the top grading under the most recent inspection regime by the Office for Standards in Education.

Children make 'excellent progress' at La Petite Academy. Back, from left, are Joshua Toor, Lola May-Jordan, Moet Asafu-Adjei and Aleksander Trifunovic. Front, from left, are Jaden Burton, Saoirse Murphy and Dylan Toor.

It is also believed to be the first to be given "outstanding" across the board for the whole age range of birth to five years within the new framework.

The nursery, in Highfield Road, Littleover, was visited by Sally Smith.

She said that the 21 staff were "extremely knowledgeable" about all aspects of early-years education, which enabled children to "make excellent progress in their learning and development".

A maximum of 58 children can attend the nursery at any one time and there are 141 children, from three months to eight years, on the roll.

Ms Smith said the partnership with parents was a key strength and significant in ensuring that all children reached their full potential.

The only item picked out for further improvement was to ensure that lists of words are displayed in different languages to make all parents feel involved.

The nursery management team was praised for its passion and vision in providing a quality service.

Managing director Andrea Roe said: "This is an excellent achievement we are all extremely proud of.

"Unlike other school inspections we, as a nursery, don't get any notice or time to prepare, so when the inspector arrived on a snowy day in December, among boxes of Christmas decorations, we were worried it wasn't the best first impression.

"We have great relationships with our children and their parents and our staff work hard to offer a variety of activities to suit all ages and abilities."

Since the last inspection three years ago, where La Petite Academy achieved "good" status, two of the senior team have completed a BA (Hons) degree in early childhood studies.

Ms Roe added: "We are committed to up-skilling our workforce and are incredibly passionate about learning and development."

Parent Zoe House, of Littleover, has two children, Katie, four, and Olivia, one, at the nursery.

She said: "The report is what I expected.

"The staff genuinely care for the children and each of them is valued as an individual.

"When I leave them there, I feel they are in very good hands and are safe and happy."