A CLACKS nursery has scored consistently high marks across the board following an unexpected visit in February.

St Serf's ELC received the inspection on February 27 and was rated 5 on a 6-point scale in a number of key areas.

Scoring 5 equates to "very good" on the Care Inspectorate scale, with 6 being "excellent".

St. Serf's was rated very good in the following areas: care play and learning, setting, leadership and staff team.

Inspectors noted that "Children were confident and had fun as they happily explored all that the nursery had to offer.

"Children had free flow access to the outdoor area throughout the day and planning approaches were child centred and responsive to children's interests."

The inspectors also highlighted the inclusion of personal plans for each child which were updated when significant events had happened in the child's life, which allowed staff to respond appropriately.

Sarah Donaldson, senior manager at St Serf's ELC, said: "It was fantastic to get the report. A lot of work has went in recently to establish a new environment within the nursery.

"We put an aim on supporting children with their interests and to have the Care Inspectorate come in and recognise that change within the nursery was fantastic."

The report noted that staff worked well together and met regularly to share observations of child's play and learning and to discuss next steps.

Cllr Graham Lindsay, education spokesperson, said: "This is a wonderful report which, once again, demonstrates the high quality early learning and childcare that is provided in Clackmannanshire.

"Staff at St Serf's are clearly committed to delivering a quality service for children and families.

"I'd like to pass on my sincere congratulations to everyone involved on this amazing report.

"You are working really hard to give children who attend St Serf's the very best start in life."