INSPIRING staff at an 'exceptional' playgroup in Tetbury were praised in a recent Ofsted report. 

St Mary's Playgroup - which is located in Christ Church Hall, The Chipping, Tetbury - received a glowing report after a visit from an Ofsted inspector on Tuesday, March 19.

The nursery was awarded outstanding ratings in every single category assessed.

Children attending St Mary's were described as 'happy and highly motivated' and demonstrated 'exemplary' behaviour throughout the inspection. 

The report also stated that children "thrive in this exceptional playgroup...[and] arrive with high levels of confidence and excitement ready for their day".

Meanwhile, the staff were described as 'inspiring', 'skilful' and 'caring' and were praised for "providing a calm and nurturing environment".

The inspector was also impressed by the playgroup's 'excellent support' for children with special education needs and/ or disabilities.

Results from the parental questionnaire were also extremely positive.

The report states: "Parents say staff are kind, approachable and nurturing which helps their children flourish. 

"Parents are aware what their children are learning and their children love to attend."

St Mary's was also commended for embracing different cultures and traditions within its curriculum.

The inspector added that the nursery provided excellent opportunities the children's physical, exploration and critical-thinking skills during forest-school sessions.

In addition, the arrangements for safeguarding were rated as effective.

Staff at the playgroup were elated when heard about the outstanding result. 

Deputy manager Kelly Seal said: "Every single day we set up our room from scratch in a church hall and clear everything away at the end of our session. 

"Despite this hurdle, we have always taken great pride in the quality of our provision, the happiness and independence of our children, the exciting and enriching learning experiences we provide and the fantastic relationships we build with our children, their families and our community.

"Now, we are delighted to announce that the love and care we put into both our playgroup and forest school environments has been recognised and rewarded to the highest level by Ofsted. 

"We are now officially OUTSTANDING and we couldn’t be more proud."

To review the full report visit tinyurl.com/ydax9yer