The comments were made by an inspector from OFSTED, the government's Office for Standards in Education, about Applegarth Day Nursery on Robey Close.

"Children's safety is given the highest priority," adds the inspector, Diana Pidgeon, in her report on a visit to the nursery on Thursday September 17.

She has given a grade of 'good', the second-highest category, to Applegarth, which was registered in 2005.

The nursery currently has 300 children on roll and employs 40 staff.

The inspector says staff at Applegarth communicate effectively with parents and others to ensure that children's needs are fully understood and met.

She continues: "Children learn through a wide variety of interesting play opportunities provided and make good progress in all areas of their development.

"Efficient organisation ensures the nursery runs smoothly and that arrangements to safeguard children are robust.

"The nursery management shows a high commitment to maintaining continuous improvement and has a clear vision for the future."

One area earmarked for further improvement is to develop use of the 'outdoor environment' to fully support all areas of children's learning.