The top ten nurseries in Scotland have been revealed in a league table compiled by The Times and The Sunday Times based on Care Inspectorate gradings.
The regulator awards grades ranging from six points for excellent to one point for unsatisfactory. The grades are applied across the four categories of setting, staff, leadership and quality of care, play and learning.
Using official data published by the care regulator, The Times and Sunday Times has published a full Scottish childcare league table. Under the gradings system, the maximum combined points achievable is 24.
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Wellside Kindergarten, a private nursery set in a detached Victorian house in Falkirk, emerged as the best in Scotland in the latest table.
It was the only nursery inspected in the last year that scored top marks for the quality of staff, facilities and leadership as well as care, play and learning.
Only one childcare provider was marked unsatisfactory right across the board in Scotland last year. Touch Trust in Dunfermline - a charity run out of a church hall - had such a bad inspection from the Care Inspectorate it was given until last month to clean up its act or face closure.
Based on the league table, here are the highest ranked nurseries in Scotland:
9. Fairview School Nursery, Perth
Fairview Nursery, which is part of Fairview School, were applauded for their 'warm' and 'caring' staff. The inspectorate said: "Staff were warm, caring and nurturing to the children attending the service. They were enthusiastic and animated throughout the day, using their knowledge of the children's individual needs to respectfully and skilfully work with the children and their families." They were graded on April 26, 2019. | Google
10. George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh
George Heriot's school nursery, which operates from a stand alone nursery building in the grounds of George Heriot's school, received a 24 score. The inspectorate said children were "busy, focused and enthusiastic". The nursery was graded on April 25, 2019. | Google