The staff team at Middleton-in-Teesdale has developed a strong ethos of collaboration, working with parents and other professionals to best meet the needs of this small rural community in County Durham, where many families live in remote and isolated farmsteads.
The team works closely with the on-site private childcare provider Dawn Till Dusk (DTD), which provides the additional hours requested by parents. The two sets of staff plan together each week, running joint outings and events each term. All school and DTD staff access at least three days of continual professional development each year.
Both the nursery/FSU and Dawn Till Dusk have achieved Ofsted outstanding status. The inspector's report on the FSU says, 'Highly effective teaching, by all adults, is skilfully directed to develop skills in counting, speaking and listening, and linking sounds and letters. This helps children make excellent progress.'
The team works in close partnership with the on-site Middleton-in-Teesdale Children's Centre, where the Foundation Stage teacher, Tessa Fenoughty, is the Qualified Teacher.
As part of a multi-agency team working with health visitors and family workers, the setting is able to provide additional nursery provision for vulnerable families and children with additional needs.
The staff do not rest on their laurels - striving to improve the quality of the children's learning experiences by offering forest school sessions, for example.
A strength of the FSU is the successful integration of age groups. There is a culture of caring and supporting each other, not only demonstrated by the staff team, but shown from the older Reception children towards the very youngest in the unit.
Criterion
Open to Early Years Foundation Stage or equivalent teams in maintained nursery schools and primary schools.
