A PRE-SCHOOL is celebrating after Ofsted inspectors backed the views of parents, giving it the official seal of approval.

The Rainbows Pre-school in Fair Oak was rated outstanding in its recent inspection compared to a previous rating of good six years ago.

The pre-school, which is based at the Scout Hut in Shorts Road and has been running for more than 50 years, was judged outstanding in all categories.

Inspectors said the pre-school continued to go from strength to strength highlighting its stimulating areas for children to play in and the way it made good use of its indoor and outdoor spaces.

The report said staff shared its assessments and plans so that teaching was of consistently high quality and children made rapid progress, particularly those below the expected level when they started pre-school.

It said the pre-school had come up with ways to engage parents in children's learning both at the pre-school and at home, such as parent helpers or making furniture.

Inspectors said staff had also developed personalised strategies for children who needed extra support.

The report praised the strong bond between children and staff, that snack times managed to incorporate different aspects of education and how staff paid “excellent attention” to health and safety.

It added: “High qualified, quality staff and professional supervision by the inspirational leadership team means that children's needs are exceptionally well met.

“Staff practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for children's safety, well-being and learning.”

To improve further it said the pre-school should extend learning linked to favourite stories to enhance children's literacy skills. The pre-school was started by a Fair Oak resident 51 years ago and moved to St Thomas' Church in Fair Oak in the early 1960s.

Friends Lynn Hooper, from Bishopstoke, and Jacqui Huskins, from Fair Oak, took over the running in 1999 and the pre-school moved to its present location six years ago.

She said the outstanding rating was all the more remarkable given that all equipment and displays both outside and inside must be cleared away unlike a dedicated nursery.

Lynn said the pre-school recently brought in a qualified teacher and another teacher who is just finishing her early years degree which had given new ideas for outdoor play and techniques to deal with behavioural issues, which she thought might have helped.

“All the staff are absolutely over the moon,” she added.

“They all work really hard and it just puts the icing on the cake. It proves what we're doing is right.

“All the parents have told us we're outstanding anyway but from our point of view it's nice to have that in black and white.”