School Children (Pic: Getty Images)

OFSTED award Riverside Children’s Centre ‘outstanding’ in all but one of fifteen categories

A children’s centre has received an ‘outstanding’ review from OFSTED after a recent inspection.

Riverside Children’s Centre in Kingsmead Road, Canterbury, obtained the positive report after it was inspected in June, and according to the body, the centre “makes an outstanding contribution to improving outcomes for families and meets its core purpose exceptionally well”.

The centre was awarded ‘outstanding’ in all but one of the 15 categories - achieving a ‘good’ standard in educational achievement.

The report added: “This already excellent centre has outstanding capacity to sustain improvement (due to its) exceptionally strong leadership, combined with robust self-evaluation and the outstanding participation of parents and partners in governance.”

The Children’s Centre is run by Canterbury council and executive member for community development Cllr Jean Law said: “This is a great achievement and I would like to congratulate everyone involved, from the staff who work so hard every day through to the wonderful parents and children who use the centre and the services in the community.

“Every time I go into Riverside, I am inspired by the amazing work that goes on there. This ‘outstanding’ rating just confirms that we are lucky to have this centre providing services in our district.”

Only 10% of children’s centres in the country were awarded ‘outstanding’ in the first three months of the year, with just two other centres in Kent achieving the top mark.