07 June 2023

Aberdeenshire nursery recognised as 'excellent'

An Aberdeenshire Council nursery has been praised for its “warm, nurturing, exciting and stimulating environment” after an inspection.

Laurencekirk Nursery was visited by inspectors from the Care Inspectorate with the team finding the Frain Drive facility to be providing “excellent support from staff who were attuned to children's needs and highly responsive”.

The report is broken down into four main categories and rated from one to six:

•    How good is our care, play and learning? 5 - Very Good
•    How good is our setting? 6 - Excellent
•    How good is our leadership? 5 - Very Good
•    How good is our staff team? 5 - Very Good

Chair and vice chair of the Education and Children’s Services Committee Cllr Gillian Owen and Cllr Anne Simpson visited the venue this week to congratulate staff.
Inspectors found staff at the pre-school were “exceptionally respectful and caring towards children”.

The report said: “Children experienced consistently nurturing and respectful care from staff, which supported their wellbeing and made them feel safe and secure. 

“Children were happy and having fun throughout their time in the setting and staff were highly skilled at engaging with children, helping with routines, learning and social experiences. 

“Staff knew children very well, including their interests and needs. Staff were extremely responsive and attuned to children's needs, ensuring children received care that was right for them.”

Cllr Owen said: “We had a fantastic visit to Laurencekirk Nursery and it was clear why inspectors rated the nursery so highly.

“The play areas are brilliant – such as the tree house area allowing children to participate in role play experiences and develop their imaginative skills - and the outdoor spaces allowing children to develop a huge range of skills and give them a sense of freedom to run around, explore nature and experiment using all the different materials on offer.”

The report reads: "An experienced staff team provided a wealth of knowledge and skills, which contributed positively to children's experiences and outcomes.

“A variety of strengths and personal interests across the team influenced children's opportunities and allowed an array of learning to be implemented. For example, one staff member was highly skilled in music and used her skills to plan sessions for the children. 

“Children were observed having fun and highly engaged in a musical session, with opportunities to sing and explore instruments.”

Cllr Simpson added: “A huge congratulations to Laurencekirk Nursery on their fantastic inspection report. We were delighted to be able to visit and witness first hand why inspectors found outstandingly high outcomes for children.”