Bridge of Allan and Lecropt nurseries have both received glowing praise from the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland following their most recent reviews.
Bridge of Allan was inspected by the Care Inspectorate in March. The inspectors awarded gradings of ‘very good’ for both quality of care and support and staffing.
The children were described as settled, confident to lead their play and learning, and had developed close bonds with staff.
Parents were also happy with the service provided and were delighted with their children's progress and the positive relationships they had with staff.
The organised environment, open paths of communication between staff and parents, as well as the skill and experience of staff at the nursery were all noted as highlights during the inspection.
Caroline Currie, acting Depute Head Teacher at Bridge of Allan, said: “The staff have worked hard in recent years to develop and enhance the nursery environment. The team provide rich learning experiences for the children, tailored to meet individual needs. We are all very proud of our journey so far and we are delighted that this was recognised by our recent Care Inspectorate visit.”
There was similarly positive praise for Lecropt, a privately owned nursery which works in partnership with Stirling Council, following an inspection in February by Education Scotland.
Parents, carers, staff and children were all spoken to during the visit and the inspection team reported meeting confident children with an enthusiasm for learning.
The nursery staff were said to be well supported by the leadership team and a strong focus was placed on wellbeing through nurturing relationships and inclusion.
The inspectors gave Lecropt gradings of ‘very good’ for leadership of change and ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion and also praised its quality in securing children’s progress and learning, teaching and assessment.
Lorna Jack, Director at Lecropt, said: “The full team at Lecropt have worked very hard to create an environment where our children can learn and grow and we are delighted with the report.”
Convenor of Stirling Council’s Children and Young People committee, Councillor Susan McGill said: “It is great to see our early years educators receive such high praise from the inspectorate. Staff pride themselves on the level of education they provide but these reports show that our nurseries are more than just a place for children to start learning. The teams at Bridge of Allan and Lecropt are creating safe, positive and caring environments where children can express themselves, grow and start their journey through education in the best way possible.”