Salvation Army pre-school praised in ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report

A Salvation Army pre-school has been rated ‘outstanding’ following an Ofsted inspection which highlighted its ‘nurturing environment that allows children to flourish’.

The Salvation Army Pre-School in Green Street, Gillingham, Kent, has been upgraded from ‘good’ following an inspection in January.

It is part of a thriving church and community centre led by church leaders Lieutenants Martyn and Stephanie Belshaw, which also hosts a ‘warm welcome’ aimed at families struggling with the cost of heating their homes, a CAMEO meet group for older people, parents and toddlers and much more. 

A delighted Martyn said: “This is fantastic news, to have gone from ‘good’ to an even more improved grade is a testament to our brilliant staff team of six who put children and families at the centre of everything they do.”

The report states ‘children flourish and make exceptional progress in this extremely nurturing environment’ and that ‘staff are inspiring role models to the children’.

It continues: “They develop extremely strong bonds with their key person and show that they feel happy and safe. Children have incredibly high levels of well-being and self-motivation to learn and explore.”

It praises the ‘inspiring curriculum’, the relationships with parents who described the pre-school as ‘amazing and ‘absolutely fantastic’ and the knowledge staff have of the children in their care.

Martyn said: “As has been highlighted in the Shaping Up campaign by Catherine, the Princess of Wales, those early years are when crucial brain development happens so a good pre-school education is vital for our children.  

“The child is absolutely at the centre of everything we do. We go above and beyond as it’s important for our children to not just be ready for school, but to be ready for life. Our staff look at what that child needs to be able to grow and to be nurtured.

“Our staff have really strong relationships with the families, they know them really well and families trust us because they see we invest in their children, they are not afraid to ask for help if they need it. For us that is part of The Salvation Army’s ethos to ‘Love God, Love Others’.

“Our staff have really strong relationships with the families, they know them really well and families trust us because they see we invest in their children, they are not afraid to ask for help if they need it. For us that is part of The Salvation Army’s ethos to ‘Love God, Love Others’.

“The pre-school also links in with the other work The Salvation Army does including being a warm space for families on a Wednesday, providing presents as part of our Christmas Present Appeal, and bringing the children to the CAMEO (come and meet each other group). Through it, we’ve connected with about 80 families.

“The pre-school is unique in that it’s faith based, so we get to use some of the amazing resources The Salvation Army has, including Dance Fit Tots, a video tutorial that uses music and dancing to bring fitness and fun to classes. Our plan is to widen that out to the community, but it starts with the pre-school. We follow the curriculum with an added faith-based element to it.”

Martyn added they are committed to continuing the investment and development of pre-schools, of which there are two run by Gillingham Salvation Army, providing apprenticeships and opportunities for people who have a passion for working with children.

For more information visit Gillingham Salvation Army’s website here https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/gillingham. Find a full copy of the report here https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY486928