Sparklers in Annan was visited by the Care Inspectorate at the end of October, with the results revealed at the end of last month. And inspectors were full of praise for the nursery’s “innovative educational approach”, which allows the children to “explore and develop their curiosity.”
As a result, Sparklers is one of only three providers across Scotland to be added as a learning resource to the Care Inspectorate Hub, which acts as a library of good practice for those working in the care and social work sector.
The report praises the nursery staff for providing a “nurturing environment”, where children are “encouraged to direct their own play” and “respected and praised for their efforts.” Staff were described as “motivated and willing to learn new skills”, and the report said “this commitment supported positive outcomes for the children.”
Sparklers director Ros White said: “I am so pleased and proud of the team for being awarded this amazing educational award. This in itself is a huge accolade for any nursery to be confirmed as one of the best educating facilities in Scotland. “Our inspector praised our children for being happy, confident, engaged and excelling through their developmental milestones.”
Sparklers uses the Curiosity Approach to learning, which has led to the development of a forest learning area at Violetbank also used by the children. Ros continued: “My team have really taken our Curiosity Approach to learning and given the children in our care the best start to their education, and our care inspector agreed. We have been developing this new approach over the last year and a half and the difference is quite awe inspiring. “It is great for my team to be acknowledged for the amazing unsung work they carry out every day, they absolutely deserve it.”
