THE headteacher of a prestigious village prep school is “thrilled” after its nursery has been acknowledged with a new award.

St. Margaret's Prep School, in Gosfield, has been awarded a ‘Top 20 Rated Day Nursery’ award by daynurseries.co.uk.

The annual award series recognises the best nurseries in each region of the UK based on reviews from parents and individuals responsible for a child.

All nurseries listed on the website are entered into the awards but there are select criteria to make it through to the awards.

Braintree and Witham Times: School - St. Margaret's Prep SchoolSchool - St. Margaret's Prep School (Image: St. Margaret's Prep School)

St. Margaret's Prep School is part of the Cognita family, a select group of more than100 schools known for their opportunities, best practices, and ensuring a high ‘world class’ level of education for its pupils.

The school is made up of a nursery which teachers children aged two to four, a reception class for four to five-year-olds, pre-prep for five to seven-year-olds, and its prep school for seven to 11-year-olds.

Carolyn Moss, the school’s headteacher, is delighted the nursery has been acknowledged on this scale.

Braintree and Witham Times: Amazing - St. Margaret's Prep School's nursery areaAmazing - St. Margaret's Prep School's nursery area (Image: St. Margaret's Prep School)

She said: “The laughter, inquisitive questions and the fabulous progress made by our nursery children, ensures we know that we have a wonderful nursery.

“We’re delighted to be given this prestigious award that reflects the fantastic experience that our parents have at St Margaret’s.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have won the prestigious ‘Top 20 Rated Day Nursery’ award in recognition that we are one of the top 20 rated day nurseries in our region based on published reviews from our parents.

“Our early years team work incredibly hard to ensure that our children develop a love of learning, to nurture their natural curiosity and to encourage them as they take their first steps to independence.”

Braintree and Witham Times: Award-winning - St. Margaret's Prep School's nursery interiorAward-winning - St. Margaret's Prep School's nursery interior (Image: St. Margaret's Prep School)

According to the school’s website, the nursery is a "stimulating and nurturing environment", where the pupils are exposed to numerous new play experiences.

The nursery curriculum includes weekly lessons in French, music, PE, and forest school, with all the topics taught by subject specialists.

For more information, visit stmargaretsprep.com.