A NURSERY is celebrating after being rated as “outstanding” for the first time.

The Old Bridge Nursery, in Shincliffe, near Durham, was given the rating following an inspection last month.

Manager Judy Cairns said: “It’s just amazing because it’s the highest accolade Ofsted can give. We’re all delighted.

“We’re not a great big nursery and we’ve had to make a lot of changes to accommodate that fact.

“It’s been a real team effort.”

The nursery, which has space for 27 children each day, takes children from six weeks to five years old.

Ofsted inspector Emma Allison described teaching and settling-in procedures as superb and said children made rapid progress.

She also praised the staff team, who she said had worked “exceptionally hard” since the last inspection in 2013.

Ms Cairns added: “We’re out every day going somewhere with the children. We use the local village and go to the church and garden centre.

“We go out into the woods to do our forestry project and get the children out building dens.”