"EXCELLENT quality of teaching" and providing "a warm and calm environment" are two of the major reasons why staff and pupils at Embsay Children's Centre are celebrating an "outstanding" Ofsted report.

Inspectors also praised the independent nursery and day care centre, started in1992 by the current headteacher Caroline Midgley, for its "well thought-out, stimulating and child-centred environment".

The report said that the centre, in Pasture Road, was outstanding because:

Children’s high self-esteem is promoted exceptionally well by staff .

Children benefit from the excellent quality of teaching

Staff provide a warm and calm environment

Staff are exceptionally good at helping children to learn how to keep themselves safe, fit and healthy.

The inspectors added that parents were extremely well involved in assessments of children, thus ensuring their views are incorporated to enhance accuracy of staff assessments, that children with special educational needs and disabilities "are supported exceptionally well" and that the safeguarding of children has the highest priority.

Headteacher Mrs Midgley said everyone at the centre was delighted with the report.

"It highlights the absolute dedication of the team, especially now that outstanding judgements are becoming more rarely issued by Ofsted.

"We've always believed that good quality pre-school education is invaluable, but recently it has been proved just how important it is in determining children’s future life chances and academic performance.

"We were very proud to have our setting recognised as something so special. As a result of this report, we will be working with the Department for Education to help ensure that all children have the start in life that we work so hard to give our children," she said.