A Suffolk pre-school has celebrated after receiving an ‘outstanding’ rating following its first Ofsted inspection.
East Bergholt Young Explorers was established in 2015 and after its inspection on October 26, was rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted.
Ofsted’s inspector, Sarah Clements, praised staff’s meticulous monitoring of childrens’ progress, exceptional learning and support and positive morale of staff.
Hayley Aherne, group manager for Constable Country Childcare which runs the pre-school, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic – we knew we were an outstanding provider but what was nice was some of the words the inspector said.
“She said she was really glad to see what we did and she felt we went the extra mile for the children.
“She did say the staff are really enthusiastic, and that’s a big thing to be recognised for – for people to turn around and say you have done well means we are over the moon.”
In her report, Sarah Clements said that “staff inspire children to become highly imaginative and deeply engaged in their play,” and added that staff have a “highly impressive depth of knowledge and give superb attention to meeting the children’s individual care needs.”
The report continued: “The superb support offered motivates children to embrace learning and they make consistently high levels of progress given their starting points.”
Mrs Aherne praised the work of the centre’s manager Joanne Gwillim and staff, and said that the feedback had been positive from parents.
“It makes a big difference to how staff feel,” she added.
“We always strive to do our best but it does mean people feel very valued and gives them a good feeling that they have a big input.”
The news tops off a good month for the group, after the Brooklands Young explorers in Brantham, which Constable Country Childcare also owns, opened a new nursery called the Woodlands Room.
The charity already runs a number of groups on the Suffolk/Essex border, but it is expanding its offering since the Government increased the number of hours of free childcare some working parents of three and four year olds are entitled to from 15 to 30.
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