The head of a pre-school says she is ”absolutely thrilled” after it was rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted.

An Ofsted inspector found children at Terrington St John Pre-School make “exceptional” progress in their learning and development and adults handle children’s individual needs “superbly”. The standard of teaching was also praised.

Pre-school leader Julie Rose said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the result and so proud of what we have achieved.

“The hard work and commitment from both our staff and our committee, together with the ongoing support of families has made the pre-school the success it is today.”

The report said: “Children make exceptional progress in their learning and development as adults use a wide range of very high-quality teaching strategies.

“Achievement gaps narrow rapidly and children are superbly prepared in readiness for school.

“Children learn rapidly through activities that reflect their individual interests, as they search for hidden bugs and insects in frozen ice, gloop and mud and create pancakes in their frying pan in the mud kitchen.

“Adults assess children’s learning very promptly and accurately. They value and make excellent use of parental contributions to further support children’s development.

“Children are highly valued and respected as unique individuals who are equipped to learn.

“Adults enable them to flourish by understanding their specific set of needs and addressing these through warm, responsive interaction and stimulating activities.

“The exceptional early focus on children’s personal, social and emotional development demonstrates adults in-depth understanding that children’s security underpins their future learning.”

Management is commended for ensuring children get the most out of their time at the pre-school.

The report added: “The clear vision of the manager and chairperson has resulted in a setting which is superbly responsive to the needs of the local community, individual children and their families.

“Their proactive stance means children receive very high-quality care and learning.”