'Nurturing and joyful' pre-school that's 'like a family' rated 'outstanding'

A ‘NURTURING and joyful’ pre-school that is ‘like a family’ has been rated as ‘outstanding’.

Muscliff Community Pre-School, in the Muscliff Community Centre, received the rating from Ofsted inspectors after an inspection earlier this year.

Inspectors said: “Staff are incredibly kind and caring and create a nurturing and joyful environment where children thrive.

“Children smile widely as they arrive and show that they feel very safe and secure. Children demonstrate high levels of concentration and motivation to learn.”

The report found a ‘meticulously organised’ curriculum, with children making ‘excellent progress’, while also building independence and a ‘sense of responsibility’ ahead of starting school.

Manager Phoebe Carter (third from left) said the pre-school was 'delighted' with the report. (Image: Newsquest)

The report finished: “Parents report that they feel like part of a family.”

Phoebe Carter, manager at the pre-school, said the community was ‘delighted’ at the report.

“We're a really small pre-school,” she said.

“We have up to 24 children per session. We have been here since 1990, we've had lots of very dedicated, hardworking staff.

“I think they work incredibly hard, and we are very nurturing, caring and kind.

“Our main ethos is that when the children reach the point where they are ready to go to school, that they are school ready.”

Ms Carter said the pre-school has ‘really strong community links’, something the report highlighted.

(Image: Newsquest)

“We have a lot of people that come in to talk to the children and all of the topics and things that we do are all based on the child's interests,” she said.

“The children have a very big say and input into the planning and the areas curriculum that we follow.”

The pre-school is a non-profit organisation, that is trustee and committee led, hosting fundraising fairs throughout the year to raise money to run the pre-school.

Bev King, chair of trustees, said: “It’s very much a community pre-school.

“The continuity is really there as well. We've got parents who were actually children at the play school, which is lovely, and we've even got a trustee now who was a child here a long time ago.”

Ms King added: “My three grandchildren have been through the play school and they've had such a good start in life, which is why I'm one of the volunteer trustees.”

Katherine Senior, secretary of the trustees, added: “It is like dropping your kid with family.”