Children’s Centres in Calderdale’s Upper Valley are celebrating after receiving the results of their recent Ofsted inspection.
Following Ofsted’s visit to the Todmorden and Hebden Vale Children’s Centres on 24 and 25 June 2014, the newly merged Upper Valley group was rated as ‘good’.
The Centres were inspected as a group, after they were merged under one management structure in June 2013. Between them, the Centres provide childcare for young children, and services for families, including healthcare, adult learning, family support and a well-baby clinic.
Ofsted have now rated the Centres as ‘good’, in all areas. The inspector made numerous positive comments in the glowing report and recognised that:
“The centres are instrumental in helping children achieve a good level of development by the time they reach school.”
This report is a great start for the recently merged Centres, and comes at a time when Calderdale Council has handed over control of the Children’s Centre Service to local childcare providers.
The Upper Valley Children’s Centre group was inspected whilst it was run by Calderdale Council; since the inspection the groups have been commissioned to Halifax Opportunities Trust from 1 July 2014.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Megan Swift, said:
“It’s fantastic news that the Upper Valley Children’s Centres have received a ‘good‘’ Ofsted rating.
“We all know that the current economic climate has resulted in millions being cut from services, and as a result, other local authorities have closed children’s centres. Calderdale hasn’t, as we know these are important services. I’m so pleased that not only are they still running, they’re performing incredibly well.”
Julie Ratcliffe, Children’s Centre Manager said:
“We knew we were a good centre group, we just needed Ofsted to put it in writing, so we are very happy with the report. The outcome of the report is a credit to all partners, parents, staff and children.”