SCHOOLS and nurseries across Essex have been celebrating after they were recognised as “outstanding.” The commendations came in the annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools which gave high praise to 19 schools and 29 early years establishments across the county.

SCHOOLS and nurseries across Essex have been celebrating after they were recognised as “outstanding.”

The commendations came in the annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools which gave high praise to 19 schools and 29 early years establishments across the county.

Among the schools to be given the accolade following their OFSTED reports were Colchester County High School for Girls and The Honywood Community Science School in Coggeshall.

Kelvedon St Mary's Primary School was also praised while nurseries in the area to make the top grade included Baby Barns Kindergarten in Ardleigh, Chestnut House Kindergarten in Colchester and Nanna's Nursery and The Woodrow's Nursery, both at Clacton and Ducklings Preschool at Notley Green.

A list of all the schools placed into special measures was also unveiled and, as reported in the EADT earlier this year, it included Sir Charles Lucas Arts College and The Thomas Lord Audley School and Language College, both in Colchester.

For schools to be outstanding in their overall effectiveness, all or almost all, elements of their work had to be marked as at least good, with significant elements as outstanding.

Early years providers were judged to be outstanding when both the overall care and overall nursery education were judged to be outstanding.

Keeley Waterson, manager of Chestnut House Kindergarten, said she was really proud of what had been achieved.

She said: “We were outstanding in every single area - I was really, really proud of all my staff, they worked really hard from the beginning to get everything together.

“We are constantly working to keep our standards high by development and training, looking at procedures all the time and seeing where we can improve.”

The kindergarten only opened last March and was given its OFSTED inspection in October.

Elizabeth Ward, headteacher at Colchester County High School for Girls, said she was “extremely pleased”.

“It is always good when your efforts are rewarded, but it is the efforts of the students, staff, governors and parents that do it - it is a team effort.

“It is particularly pleasing because we were outstanding in every single section so I just hope we can remain as good as we are,” she said.

And Mark Williams, deputy headteacher of Honywood School, said: “We are delighted - we make the pupils the centre of what we do.

“It is about involving pupils in their learning and we ask them to talk with staff about lessons and we work with other schools on projects so the pupils can share experiences.”

Launching her first annual report, Christine Gilbert, the Chief Inspector of Schools, said: “My congratulations go out to the teachers, carers and leaders of these outstanding schools, colleges and early years settings for their success in delivering such a high standard of education and care.

“Those schools and colleges which have received not one, but two or three, outstanding inspection reports over the past 14 years have proved themselves to be consistent high-achievers and the best of the best.

“To progress from being an inadequate institution to one that is providing an outstanding quality of education is a huge achievement and proves the value of inspection in bringing about improvement.”