23 February 2018

Port Elphinstone nursery praised in inspection

Inspectors have praised Port Elphinstone Primary School nursery’s nurturing ethos which puts the needs of children and families at the centre of their work.

The review also commended nursery staff for creating a broad and balanced range of stimulating experiences that supported their all-round health and wellbeing. The Care Inspectorate found the categories inspected to be both “very good” when they carried out an unannounced visit on Thursday, January 18.

The report said: “Children enjoyed the recent addition of a large variety of “loose parts” which provided more opportunities to be creative, take risks, explore and have fun within the nursery environment. We also noted that outdoor play, in the nursery garden, playing field and wooded area was well established as part of the nursery provision.

“Children were developing skills such as problem solving and assessing and managing risks as well as building their confidence and resilience. The focus on supporting children’s numeracy and literacy skills was reflected throughout the environment and in staff practice.

“Overall, we found that the manager and staff team were highly motivated, committed to continuous improvement and were open to initiatives and best practice. This was resulting in positive outcomes from children and families.”

Port Elphinstone Primary School nursery provides early learning and childcare to a maximum of 20 children aged 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.