AN Inverclyde nursery has been praised by care bosses for helping youngsters feel 'loved, safe, and secure', and having a staff team that's 'passionate, motivated, and reflective'. 

The team at Kilmacolm Primary School Nursery received 'very good' ratings from Care Inspectorate bosses after unannounced visits on September 11 and 12. 

The centre achieved the coveted grades across the overall care, play, and learning; setting; leadership; and staff team categories. 

Inspectors gave five 'very good' ratings in a full detailed evaluation which covered nurturing care and support; play and learning; children experiencing high quality facilities; quality assurance and improvement; and staff deployment. 

Depute head teacher teacher Lisa Conway said the level of commitment from staff helped the nursery secure the fantastic ratings from inspectors. 

She added: "We are thrilled that our nursery has received 'very good' grades in our recent unannounced Care Inspectorate inspection. 

"The outstanding achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team, as well as the wonderful children and families we support every day.

"This recognition confirms our commitment to providing the highest quality of care and education in a nurturing and inspiring environment."

To celebrate the fantastic result, the nursery team organised a party day full of games, cake, and balloons which depute head teacher Lisa said 'acknowledged the incredible efforts of staff and children'.

It's all smiles at Kilmacolm Primary School Nursery. (Image: George Munro) Proud staff at the nursery, where inspectors identified 'significant strengths'. (Image: George Munro) Inspectors found 'significant strengths in aspects of the care provided'. 

They added: "Children were happy, secure, and confident as they explored the environment. 

"They benefitted from a caring, nurturing, and kind staff team, which provided a sense of security. 

"As a result, children's individual needs were met well throughout the day."

Care bosses highlighted staff members' knowledge of children's rights, unhurried and relaxed mealtimes, and the nursery's strong relationship with families. 

They also praised the child-centred transition programme from home to nursery, and from the nursery to primary one, and said staff were 'in tune' with the children's personalities and developmental needs. 

Inspectors said children benefitted from 'carefully considered' play spaces both indoors and outdoors, and said the learning environment was 'inviting, stimulating, and exciting'. 

The report states that leadership roles in the nursery are 'well-defined'. 

Inspectors said: "Staff felt valued and were committed to using their strengths and interests to develop the service, resulting in a very positive morale.

"Their commitment to meeting children's needs was evident in their high-quality engagement throughout the day.

"Strong and effective leadership supported a culture of continued reflection and improvement."

The team of 10 staff at the nursery look after 32 youngsters. 

Depute head teacher Lisa said the whole team are very proud of their 'very good' inspection report and say it will propel them onwards. 

She added: "We couldn't be prouder of our team and wee look forward to continuing to grow and provide excellence in care for our community's children."