'˜Outstanding' Ofsted effort by bunch of Little Rascals

The pre-school, which is based at the Guide Hall, in Forest Road, was visited by inspector Hannah Barter, who wrote a glowing report, with ‘outstanding’ ratings across the board.

In her report, Ms Barter said every one of the children, including those with special educational needs, made “rapid progress” in all areas of learning and development at the pre-school.

She added: “They demonstrate exceptional confidence in all activities and are learning a number of skills which prepare them well for their move to school.

“For example, reading books and making stories out of pictures, and recognising printed letters and numbers.”

The children’s behaviour was described as “impressive” with an “excellent awareness of showing kindness and compassion towards each other”.

The pre-school itself was seen to be “highly stimulating and planned to meet children’s interests”.

Manager Sarah Watson said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as ‘outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted. We strive to provide the highest level of care, education and experiences for all of our children and families, and it is very rewarding to have this acknowledgement.

“I’d like to thank the ‘Big Rascals’ staff for their dedication, commitment and hard work – I am very proud of my amazing team, and this is a professional achievement for us all.

“We as a team would like to thank Sharon, the owner, for her passion, knowledge, guidance and support – it is her ethos and high standards that remain at the heart of Little Rascals. We look forward to continuing to grow as a setting, and would like to thank all of our families for their continued support.”

When it came to areas requiring further improvement, Ms Barter had only one suggestion – to further develop the children’s understanding of the importance of healthy eating.

To read the report, log on to the Ofsted website.