Children make 'strong progress across all areas' at this Moortown, Leeds nursery - Ofsted report

Moortown Montessori Nursery, located on Shadwell lane, received a ‘strong standard’ rating in five of the six categories during an Ofsted visit in January 2026.

Under the new system, one-word grades have been replaced with a colour-coded “traffic light” report card, split into six categories: achievement, behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, children's welfare and well-being, and leadership and governance.

The nursery received an ‘expected standard’ rating in the category of behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines.

Inspectors said: “Children make strong progress across all areas of learning. They are well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for their next stage of learning. This includes their readiness to move through the nursery rooms.

“Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. This includes for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning.”

Leaders and staff at Moortown Montessori have created a “warm and welcoming environment,” according to the report. Settling-in sessions are carefully planned to ensure they meet the needs of individual children.

The curriculum is “well designed” to ensure it covers all areas of learning and builds on the knowledge and skills children already have. This is well sequenced as children progress through the nursery.

Children are said to feel “happy and feel safe” at the nursery. They form positive relationships with staff and settle quickly due to robust settling-in policies and procedures.

Focusing on areas of potential improvement, the education watchdog said: “There are clear routines throughout the day that help children to know what is coming next. Although routines are typically understood by staff, these are not consistently implemented.

“This means some strategies to support children's independence skills are not always well matched to the age of children. Additionally, children are expected to wait too long at mealtimes, which results in some becoming restless.”

Leaders have a “clear overview of the setting,” according to the report. They are aware of the setting's strengths and areas which require development. For example, leaders identify that more work is required around establishing routines across the setting.

Skilled staff put in place a range of highly effective interventions for children who face barriers to their learning. Partnerships with parents are said to be strong.