The children and staff at Wren’s Nursery, Hooke Court, near Beaminster, have been awarded top marks by Ofsted.

As the children left for their half-term break Ofsted inspector Dinah Round told them they had been rated ‘outstanding’.

Ms Round said the children benefited enormously from the high-quality resources and learning spaces at the nursery, which provided a stimulating and nurturing environment.

She also praised the exceptional teaching and the inspirational leadership.

Amy Evans, nursery manager said: “We are absolutely delighted that all of our hard work and efforts have been recognised in the Ofsted inspection report.

“The nursery has become very popular over the past two years and we will continue to strive to make it a really fantastic place for the children to come to play and learn.

“Wren’s Nursery has strived to provide high standards in education, preparing children for school, through a huge range of exciting activities carefully designed to inspire and motivate children.”

Ms Round added: “The quality of the teaching is exceptionally good and with an extremely strong focus on helping children acquire physical, and communication and language skills.”

She also said the manager showed ‘inspirational’ leadership.

Ms Round added: “The continual drive for improvement, alongside a targeted programme of professional development, means that staff are constantly improving their skills and practice.”

The only thing the inspector said could improve was enhancing the opportunities for the children to do more things for themselves during the activities and daily routines.

She said staff had an outstanding knowledge of how children learn.

She said: “Children flourish in the challenging and inspiring environment.”

She also highlighted the use of outdoor learning, saying the children benefit enormously from so much fresh air and exercise. The full report should be on the Ofsted website in a week.