INSPECTORS have identified areas for improvement at a Greenock nursery but praised staff for creating a ‘warm and nurturing environment’.

A team from Education Scotland spoke with parents, carers and staff at Battery Park Nursery during a visit which was carried out back in February and have now published their findings in an official inspection report.

The small, family-run nursery has provided care for children aged two to five since opening in 2013.

Inspectors who visited the establishment said youngsters were ‘happy’ and ‘enthusiastic’, and that they enjoyed their time in nursery.

Staff were observed to work well together, creating a welcoming environment for children and their families.

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A recently developed garden space was also found to have enhanced experiences for the pupils.

The nursery received ratings of ‘satisfactory’ – level three on the six-point scale used by Education Scotland – for its learning, teaching and assessment, and safeguarding and child protection.

Education Scotland highlighted and discussed several areas for improvement with the manager of the nursery, as well as a representative from Inverclyde Council.

It was noted that managers and practitioners should review their approaches to checking each child's progress to ensure this is effectively captured.

The team was also urged to develop their methods of planning for learning to in order to provide appropriately challenging experiences.

Inspectors said practitioners should continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of child development.

In a letter to the nursery, inspector Patricia Madden said: “We are confident that the setting has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection.

“Inverclyde Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its settings.”