A nursery in Clevedon is celebrating after receiving an outstanding rating from Ofsted.

The education watchdog inspected Little Sparklers Preschool, based at Yeo Moor Primary School in Kennaway Road, on November 17 when it was awarded the top rank in all four service areas.

The report praised the ‘highly skilled’ staff and their ‘exceptional partnerships with parents and other professionals’ which helps prepare their children ‘extremely well for school.’

It added: “Staff provided a nurturing environment where children are eager to have a go at new skills and contribute their ideas.

“Children consistently display exceptionally high self-esteem and laugh at their own mistakes, eager to correct them.

“Staff use highly successful strategies to help children manage any conflict.”

Little Sparklers owner Karen Hillcox is ‘thrilled to bits’ with the report after the preschool was on the brink of closure earlier this year when its lease on premises at Yeo Moor Primary School looked unlikely to be renewed by the Clevedon Learning Trust.But the trust – which runs Yeo Moor Primary School – offered an extension in the summer allowing the preschool to go from strength to strength.

She said: “We are absolutely delighted with the report, not least because of the devastating situation that the preschool found itself in at the beginning of the year.

“The parents are incredibly supportive and were taken by surprise when the (Ofsted) announcement was made by their children at the Sparklers’ Christmas show.

“It is incredibly rewarding to receive an outstanding rating in all areas from Ofsted and it proves that all our hard work is recognised and the outstanding care we strive to provide is being delivered effectively and of a high quality.

“I am very proud of the team. We work really well together and every member of staff works tirelessly to ensure that every area of care and education is provided at the highest level for our children and their families.

“We’re thrilled to bits and so are our parents.”