A WIRRAL nursery school's work to improve the life chances of every its children has earned a national award.

Ganneys Meadow Nursery School and Family Centre in Woodchurch is the first nursery school in the region to achieve this National Nurturing Schools Award.

It was given out by Nurture UK, a charity dedicated to improving the life chances of every child and young person by promoting nurture across the whole education system and beyond.

Ganneys Meadow has been recognised for offering the environments and opportunities to children which address their developing social and emotional skills.

The award reflects the school's commitment to promoting healthy outcomes for children and young people by focusing on their emotional needs and development.

Ganneys Meadow, a maintained nursery school based on the Woodchurch estate, is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and has a highly experienced team of staff including qualified teachers, teaching assistants and an expert Special Educational Needs team.

It also has a full-time family support worker and school readiness worker based on site. This enables the school to operate a wide range of groups for babies and toddlers to attend with their parents and carers.

These include baby massage and stay and play sessions, with some targeted at families with children who have special educational needs.

The school is also very active in the community and works with various local charities to run weekly coffee mornings, parent training courses and a social supermarket. Health visitors also operate regular clinics in the school.

Ganneys Meadow Headteacher, Mrs Kathryn Kennedy said: "I am so proud to be the Headteacher of our school. The staff work so hard and are committed to nurturing all children to achieve the very best outcomes and prepare them for their future.

"Visitors to our school comment on the calm and inviting environment that we offer, and our inclusive approach welcomes all children and their families.

"The staff worked so hard to achieve the National Nurturing Schools Award and these practices are now embedded in everyday school life.

"It was a pleasure to welcome Margaret Greenwood MP to our school to present our award and to share the amazing work that the team do every day.

"We were proud to introduce her to the children and celebrate their successes.”

Staff and pupils were joined by Margaret Greenwood, MP for Wirral West, who visited the school to present them with their award.

Margaret Greenwood said: "I was delighted to be able to visit Ganneys Meadow to present this important award.

"It really is fantastic to see Ganneys Meadow receive this recognition and it is a fitting testimony to the hard work and vision of all of the staff.

"I was very impressed by the environment that has been created for the children to learn in.

"There are lots of toys made from natural materials, and it was great to see children enjoying forest school sessions where they use the outdoor environment to learn language, communication and teamwork skills.

"Early years education is so important and it is good to see children from the Woodchurch and beyond getting such a great start in life at Ganneys Meadow."

You can find out more about Nurture UK and the National Nurturing Schools Award via this link: https://www.nurtureuk.org/