20 December 2017

Newtonhill nursery praised in inspection

Inspectors have praised the safe and nurturing environment provided by staff to children at a Newtonhill nursery.

A review of Newtonhill School nursery also commended staff for the warm rapport they have built with children and parents. The Care Inspectorate found all categories assessed to be “good” when they visited during an unannounced inspection on Tuesday, August 29.

The report said: “Children in the nursery were supported by staff to be safe. This was achieved through staff’s awareness of child protection procedures and signs that suggest a child may be in distress. Staff were confident in keeping children safe and were teaching children how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. For example, staff encouraged children to think of the dangers involved when completing activities like crossing the road.”

Cllr Gillian Owen, Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee chair, said: “Children’s safety and child protection is very much a subject of debate at the moment. So it is therefore very pleasing that inspectors have commended Newtonhill School nursery’s staff for providing a safe environment for children which encourages learning.”

Committee vice chair, Cllr Mark Findlater, said: “I really hope that this inspection provides peace of mind to parents thinking about where to send their children to nursery. Encouraging learning and a safe environment must be two top priorities for any parents so I am over the moon that Newtonhill School nursery has been commended for this.”

Newtonhill School nursery provides care to a maximum of 40 children aged between three to those about to start primary school.

There are 152 primary schools, 87 nurseries and 17 secondary schools in Aberdeenshire. At the end of the 2016/17 financial year there were more than 20,000 primary school pupils and over 14,000 secondary school pupils.