By Lauri Cox

YOUNGSTERS at a North-East nursery are celebrating after it received full marks in a recent inspection.

Kids 1st Darlington, situated in the West Park area of the town, has achieved its second ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report since opening in January 2008.

The nursery is split into rooms dependent upon age group and development level, with access to large, age-appropriate gardens.

It was judged as outstanding in every category, and given a huge amount of positive feedback from Ofsted. Inspector Eileen Grimes was particularly impressed with the quality of teaching, relationships with parents and children, the excellent range of resources available and the inspirational leadership and management of the nursery.

As an added extra to the curriculum, children participate in French and music and movement lessons.

Nursery manager Gerry Chapman is thrilled with the nursery’s achievement.

She said: “All of my team have worked so hard for this inspection and we are delighted to retain our outstanding "We always aim for excellence within every aspect of childcare and to receive recognition of that is wonderful.”

At the end of 2014 Kids 1st was named highest quality childcare provider in the UK by Nursery World for the fourth consecutive year.

Kids 1st managing director Mark McArdle said: “I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Gerry and the team for all of their hard work and dedication to the nursery.

"Achieving an outstanding Ofsted report is extremely difficult and to see how much the staffs’ skills and expertise have impressed the inspector really makes me proud.”