Marsden Playgroup has thanked the community for its support following a ‘good’ Ofsted rating – just over a year after facing closure.
The playgroup, which is in Lakeside just off Warehouse Hill Road, has kept up its standards after also being rated ‘good’ at previous inspections in 2013 and 2009.
But the group, which provides childcare to toddlers and preschoolers aged two to five, was threatened with closure in December 2015 due to a lack of funding.
Now, the committee has thanked the local community for its support and fundraising during the period of uncertainty.
They said: “Through hard work from the committee, a new staff team and support of the local community here we are in our 50th year with a ‘good’ Ofsted result.”
Ofsted, the education watchdog, found that, among other findings: “The well organised key-person system supports young children to form secure attachments and promotes their care and well-being.”
The playgroup links with the nearby Marsden Infant and Nursery School, which is on Brougham Road.
It holds its lunch club there, as well as providing after school care to its children.
In the future, the committee aims to increase the number of children on the roll and redevelop the outdoor area in its aim to achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating.
