Award recognises innovation at Bowhouse ELC

Lynda McDonald, headteacher, said everyone was delighted.

She said: “Our use of national guidance, ‘Building the Ambition’ has enabled us to take a more holistic, child-centred, meaningful and creative approach to children’s learning.

“Our vision to provide high quality experiences, interactions and environments has been established through strong leadership, a skilled team and a strong commitment to our wee people and families.

“In August 2019, we began offering full day sessions to our children and all staff have been working hard to ensure that children experience a nurturing and homely setting alongside adults who know them well and who can provide high quality learning experiences.

“This has been a journey of learning and improvement at Bowhouse and we will continue to find ways to develop our approaches further to enhance the experiences for our children.

There is a strong sense of achievement within the team and, as headteacher, I am incredibly proud of the dedication shown by all staff and to have our provision recognised in a national award.”

Speaking after her visit, Ms Todd said Bowhouse had “gone above and beyond to give their children outstanding opportunities to learn and develop”.

She said: “Staff have come up with amazingly creative and fun ways to develop children’s understanding of the world around them, with great results already for the children, their families and staff, including transforming meal times to be more relaxed and inclusive.

“As quality is at the heart of our expansion plans, the awards are an opportunity to showcase best practice and encourage nurseries to share successes with each other.”