A NURSERY has been hailed as "outstanding" in a glowing Ofsted report.

The education watchdog has given Sunshine Day Nursery, in Wallwood Road, Leytonstone, top scores in every single one of its marking criteria following an inspection last month.

The nursery, which is privately run, currently looks after 72 children aged between six months and five years.

Activities for toddlers were described as "awe-inspiring" and Ofsted said procedures to keep children safe were "highly impressive".

Owners Chris and Kim Sheen, whose three-year-old daughter Scarlett is among the nursery's pupils, said they were delighted.

Mr Sheen, 36, said: "We're absolutely over the moon.

"The thing we can't stress enough is the importance of the girls who look after the children here.

"They do what can be a very difficult job very well, and their dedication and experience really makes a difference."

Mrs Sheen, 43, established the centre in 1999 after leaving her previous childcare job, before setting up Sunbeams Nursery in nearby Bushwood Road a year later.

They became so successful Mr Sheen quit his job in the construction industry to help out, and then the pair also took over Foot Steps Nursery in Preston Road in 2010.

Mr Sheen said he believed that the special activities put on by the nursery were a key reason for the outstanding report.

He said: "When it was Chinese New Year we took the children to a Chinese restaurant to teach them about the food and how to use chopsticks, and another popular thing we did recently was to incubate some chicken eggs so the children were able to care for them and watch them hatch."

Ofsted inspector Caroline Preston wrote: "Children's needs are met overall and they make outstanding progress towards the early learning goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

"Awe-inspiring activities support children to make excellent progress in their learning."

She also praised the good communication of management.

Despite the success of the couple's three nurseries, Mr Sheen said they had no further plans to expand.

He said: "We very much enjoy the job and part of that is getting to know the parents very well. If we got any bigger we might lose that, so we're happy the way we are."

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