A PRE-SCHOOL which children “enthusiastically skip to” before being greeted by staff has been praised by education watchdogs.

Ofsted rated Braintree's Goldingham Drive Community Pre-School good in all sectors after an inspection.

Inspector Louisa Taylor was full of praise for the children, quality of teaching, management and staff.

The report says: “Children enthusiastically skip into this community pre-school and are greeted by friendly and nurturing staff.

“This joyful and positive atmosphere benefits the children as they explore the indoor and outdoor environments in a keen and purposeful manner.

“The learning environments are stimulating and extremely inviting.

“Children make their own play dough, weighing out flour and water, kneading it themselves before sharing it among their peers.”

The report says teaching is “good” and “designed in a way that helps children remember long term what they have been taught”.

It praises management and staff, saying they provide an “inclusive setting where all children's individual learning experiences are important and recognised”.

Manager and owner Julie Robert said: “This is our first Ofsted inspection since we were able to create an outside area for our pre-school in early 2020.

“Building the outside area was a long-held dream of mine, made possible through my determination and the amazing fundraising support we received from our pre-school families and our local community in the autumn term of 2019.

“The outside area proved to be such a valuable resource for our children during the Covid-19 pandemic, many of whom lived lockdowns in flats without access to their own safe outdoor spaces.

"I really am grateful to everyone who supported us with creating it.

“The outside area has proven to be the catalyst for continuous improvement of our pre-school environment, and it is lovely that the Ofsted inspector has recognised so many of our improvements in her report.

“Goldingham Drive Pre-School has been at the centre of its community since 1973, with several generations of families having now attended.

“This year marks the pre-school's golden anniversary, so what better way to recognise our pre-school and my fantastic team than with this perfectly timed glowing Ofsted report.”