Clackmannanshire Council Online

Happy, Confident Children Found at Tower Nursery

Tower Nursery has a "happy and relaxed environment where children feel safe and secure" according to HM Inspectors of Education and the Care Commission.

In the 5 measures used to judge how well the nursery is doing, Tower was graded as 'good' in four and 'satisfactory' in one.

Tower Nursery School was inspected in September 2009 by HMIE and
the Care Commission as part of the integrated inspection programme and the report is published this week. The centre caters for pre-school children aged three to five years. The total roll was 76 at the time of the inspection.

The strengths of the nursery highlighted in the report were:

• Happy, well-behaved children who are engaged in their learning
• Effective staff teamwork and the caring, welcoming ethos for children and parents.
• Early identification and support for children who require additional help in their learning.
• The enthusiastic acting headteacher and staff who are committed to the continuous improvement of the nursery.

The acting headteacher Rosie Dempster and her staff were praised in the report for having a wide and varied curriculum and a commitment to improving the nursery for children and their families.

The following areas for improvement have been agreed:

• Further develop planning and recording of children's progress to ensure that all children are appropriately challenged in their learning
• Improve the balance between the activities led by staff and those which children can choose for themselves
• Continue to develop children's involvement in planning their own learning
• Take forward the involvement of all staff, children and parents in monitoring and evaluating the work of the nursery

Headteacher Rosie Dempster said: "I am delighted by the comments made in the inspection report. We will take on board the recommendations for improvement and continue to develop the services we provide for local families. I would like to thank my team of motivated and committed staff for all their hard work."

Councillor George Matchett, Portfolio Holder for Inclusion, said: "Tower Nursery is part of a strong community where there is a keen sense of teamwork. Everyone involved should be proud of the nursery's achievements so far, and with the ongoing support of the local authority, I expect that the nursery will continue to go from strength to strength."