A NURSERY which was nearing closure is celebrating praise from the education watchdog, just weeks after its ‘dedicated’ manager lost her life after a long-term illness.

Abbotts Ann Nursery School (AANS) was facing the possibility of closing its doors from Easter due to fluctuating staffing levels and the challenging logistics of supporting a high number of children, but now the provider is delighting in a ‘good’ Ofsted rating and will re-open in September as a registered charity.

The report, published on Wednesday, comes weeks after manager Emma Davies passed away, and both the staff and committee have dedicated the ‘good’ rating to Emma.

A statement from the nursery read: “The staff and committee of Abbotts Ann Nursery School would like to dedicate this achievement to the memory of Emma Davies as it is a true testament of her unfailing dedication and leadership to the nursery school.

“For over 14 years Emma was an essential part of AANS, her commitment and passion for both the children and their families and the nursery’s staff was recognised by all and played a fundamental part in AANS achieving this Ofsted rating.”

In the Ofsted report, staff at the nursery based in the War Memorial Hall were praised for the way they “encourage parents to share information about their child’s development and plan well for children’s learning from the start”.

It was found that “children behave well” and “they ask questions and listen to the response”.

The report particularly highlighted that “staff build positive partnerships with parents and professionals. These partnerships help to ensure children receive the support that they need to make good progress from their starting points”.

It was said that the children are “curious and motivated”, and create their own activities with the resources and stories.

It was highlighted that “children confidently introduce themselves to visitors and engage in conversation”, and applause was given to staff who are “positive role models”.