New after-school club given glowing report

6:00pm Tuesday 8th July 2008

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By Sally Jones »

AN after-school club in Worcester has received a glowing report from government inspectors just weeks after taking over another venue.

Victoria House Day Nursery, in Lechmere Crescent, recently took over the after-school club at Oldbury Park Primary School in St John’s, which closed down after failing an Ofsted inspection.

The club was run by Happylands and closed after struggling to recruit enough qualified staff.

But now the club is flourishing again with almost 30 children on the books.

They are able to enjoy a range of activities at the end of the school day.

Victoria Hudson, from Victoria House Day Nursery, said: “Since we opened we have gone from strength to strength.

“I think the parents are all happy to have an after-school club up and running again.”

Victoria House Day Nursery has been praised by Ofsted for the quality of care and standards of nursery education it provides following a recent inspection of its Lechmere Crescent location.

In its latest report, the education watchdog said: “Throughout the welcoming and caring nursery, children are happy, confident and secure.

“They gain confidence and new skills with good staff support, sensitive interaction and positive praise and encouragement.”

Manager Beth Brown said she was delighted with the report.

“We have only been open six months so this is absolutely fantastic,” she said. “Everyone has worked so hard and it has paid off.”

The nursery was judged as outstanding for helping children to be healthy and for the quality of teaching and learning.

It was judged as good for protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe, helping children achieve and enjoy what they do, helping children make a positive contribution, and organisation.

The inspectors said: “Staff have an expert knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage curriculum, early learning goals and how children learn and progress.

“The learning programme and activities are planned to provide a consistently inspiring broad and balanced range of activities which challenge all children very well across the six areas of learning, according to their individual needs and progress.”