Playschool delighted with Ofsted rating

Living in the moment has helped a Diss pre-school achieve its first outstanding rating in the area of child development.

Merryfields Playschool, in Shelfanger Road, was given an overall rating of good after a recent visit by Ofsted inspectors.

But staff at the school, which currently has 14 children on its books, have been thrilled by the boost to their child development, behaviour and welfare rating, which they put down to ‘living in the moment’.

“We introduced a new way of working which is a system devised Anna Ephgrave, which means putting aside ideas such as setting goals, and planning in the moment, instead,” said the playschool’s manager, Sharon Everett.

“For example, we teach children by allowing them to follow their own ideas.

“If a child wants to play with a train, rather than put down a track, we will make a track by drawing it in chalk, see where the track leads and, if it ends up outside, we see what we can then teach them about the outdoor environment.

“Also, if the children want to play with doll’s houses, we make the houses, or if they want to dress up, we make the clothes and teach them along the way.

“We’re all thrilled with the Ofsted report.”

Merryfields Playschool was founded in the early 1980s by Lynda Alborough. It formerly met at the Corn Hall before moving to its current location in 2010, when it was registered with government inspectors, Ofsted.

In its previous inspection, the playschool scored good across all categories.