A STIRLING Council nursery has achieved the highest possible grade in both areas of its inspection from the national regulator.

Balfron Primary School Nursery - which provides a day care service for up to 24 pre-school children – received a rating of ‘6’ (excellent) for its quality of care and support and quality of staffing from the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection in March.

Their report stated: “The exceptionally committed and self-reflective staff and management team were driven to ensure the highest quality outcomes for children.

“Expectations of children’s achievements were set high and staff worked hard at adding value to the quality of children’s learning.

“All children were highly engaged and self sufficient. Staff were involved in self-evaluation and willing to try new ideas, which resulted in a strong ethos for improving high quality outcomes for children.”

Graeme Mayes, deputy head at Balfron Primary School Nursery, said: “Staff would like to say a huge thank you to the parents and carers as they couldn't do such a great job without their support. This is their excellent inspection too!

“Staff would also like to say the biggest thank you to the children who brighten their days, make them all want to do better and motivate them to come up with even more exciting and enriching learning experiences. Thank you to our wonderful nursery community.”

Inspectors also praised the nursery’s learning experiences which provided appropriate challenges and highlighted its very strong culture of respect and kindness. Parents told the Inspectorate they were very happy with the standard of care and support their child received via questionnaires.

Convener of Stirling Council’s Children and Young People Committee, Cllr Susan McGill said: “It’s a rare distinction for a nursery to be awarded the highest grade for all areas of its inspection and the staff and everyone involved at Balfron should be extremely proud of this excellent report.

“The COVID-19 crisis has been a tough time for families across Stirling and while there are still challenges ahead, it’s fantastic our nurseries have now fully reopened and we can celebrate these success stories.”

The 2019 Local Government Benchmarking Framework report rated Stirling Council’s early learning and childcare service as the joint best in Scotland.

Vice Convener of the Committee, Cllr Christine Simpson said: “This outstanding report for Balfron Primary School Nursery is further evidence that children across Stirling are continuing to receiving the highest standards of care and learning.

“The hard work of staff and the support of the wider nursery community is ensuring children at Balfron are getting the best possible start in life – a huge well done to all.”