ELC deputy head in north Sutherland praises staff and community after 'very good' report from care inspectors
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The deputy head of a north Sutherland primary nursery has praised the hard work of her staff and the support it has received from the community after receiving a glowing report from the Care Inspectorate.
An unannounced visit was carried out at Melvich Early Learning Centre (ELC) on November 9 last year, to inspect aspects of care, play and learning activites, the school setting, its leadership and staff.
In doing so, inspectors spoke with staff and management and received three responses from parents via email. They also observed practice and daily life for the children, while also reviewing documents.
A report published by the Care Inspectorate on January 19 confirmed that all aspects of the ELC merited a 'very good' grade 5 rating, stating that the nursery possessed a "strong ethos of improvement to support high quality experiences for all children and families."
The report also concluded that children received "very good care and support from kind, caring and nurturing staff who knew them extremely well."
Jane MacKintosh, depute head teacher / ELC manager at Melvich, spoke with pride about the hard work her staff have put in to achieve this standard.
She said: "I am incredibly proud of our ELC staff and delighted they are being given the recognition they deserve for all their hard work.
"At Melvich ELC we strive to ensure that our children receive high quality care, nuture, interactions and experiences. Melvich ELC is very well supported by our whole school and village community.
"We look forward to the future and keeping abreast of new developments within early education to continue to ensure best practice at Melvich ELC."
The findings of the report revealed that children and their families felt "valued, included and genuinely cared for by staff", and that parents and carers were "key partners in supporting children to develop". The report states that this "enabled families to meaningfully engage in their child's play and learning."
The report also praised the "high quality" facilities available at the ELC, making mention of the outdoor garden space which provides children with "good opportunities for free flow play between indoors and outdoors."
The Care Inspectorate also confirmed that both the manager and staff spoke of the "positive relationship that had been formed within the team." and the the manager had a "clear focus on staff wellbeing, ensuring staff felt valued and listened to, helping to create a positive atmosphere for both staff and children to feel comfortable and secure in."
