A NURSERY which closed its doors earlier this summer was rated “very good” in its final report.

Inspectors from Education Scotland visited Humbie Primary School and Nursery Class in June – just weeks before the nursery closed its doors.

The nursery was rated as “very good” for both learning, teaching and assessment; and securing children’s progress.

When inspectors visited, there were six children on the nursery roll and it was noted that the nursery had reopened two years earlier following a period of closure.

East Lothian Council announced earlier this summer that the nursery would be “mothballed” for the 2023/24 academic year.

At that time, a spokesperson for the local authority said: “As an authority we have a responsibility to ensure that we are providing best value throughout our services and across East Lothian.

“Having nurseries operating significantly below capacity does not represent best value for our council or demonstrate equitable allocation of financial resource across the county.

“The quality of experience for children is also diminished when operating with low numbers.”

In the report, staff at the nursery were praised for knowing children “very well and are highly attuned to their preferences and capabilities”.

The report reads: “Practitioners have organised the nursery environment well to maximise opportunities for children.

“This helps children to develop their literacy and numeracy skills very well.

“Children have access to a wide range of creative materials, loose parts, small world and role play resources.

“As a result, children grow and develop successfully through their learning, physical development and imaginative play.”

The development of youngsters’ digital skills was also highlighted.

Children used digital technologies to make lunch selections, listen to music, play games, and takes pictures.

Securing children’s progress was also rated as very good.

The report reads: “Overall, children make very good progress over time appropriate to their stage of development.

“Senior leaders and practitioners evidence and record children’s progress over time effectively using developmental and curriculum trackers, learner journeys and floor books.”

There was also a promising report for the primary school, which had a school roll of 13 working in a P1-7 multi-composite class.

Debby Crossan, headteacher at the school, was also praised for her impact.

Staff’s approaches in supporting children’s wellbeing and developing positive relationships across the school and nursery were also praised alongside the “very responsive and high-quality experiences” children have in the nursery.

The school and East Lothian Council were told to work on continuing to raise children’s attainment in literacy and numeracy, as well as delivering “high-quality learning, teaching and assessment”.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: “The inspectors’ report highlights the supportive, happy and caring environment that headteacher Mrs Crossan and her team have created across the whole school, and the positive impacts this has on children’s wellbeing, attainment and their relationships with staff and with each other.

“Humbie is focused on achieving the best outcomes for its children across all levels and areas of the curriculum and instilling a love of learning.

“We’re pleased to see Mrs Crossan’s excellent leadership recognised by inspectors, parents and staff, alongside the team’s use of data and evidence to maximise children’s successes.

“We are sure families will recognise the report’s many encouraging reflections from their own experiences.”

Mrs Crossan added: "We are delighted that many of our school community’s key strengths were recognised through the recent inspection process and published report.

“We are particularly proud that our nurturing approaches and the relationships we build within our school community were evident during the visit.

"Our commitment to getting it right for every child is driving forward our improvement journey, and is positively impacting upon our children’s learning, progress and wellbeing.

“Our focus on raising attainment will continue through our dedication to providing high quality learning and teaching experiences for all our learners.”