A CHILDCARE setting located at Rhyl's new £23million Catholic school has been rated 'good' in its first Care Inspectorate Wales inspection.

Little Acorns at Christ the Word, which opened in September 2019, was rated good in Well-being; Care and Development; Environment and Leadership and Management.

The service provides care for a maximum of 69 children between the ages of two and 12. Dawn Anderson is in charge in conjunction with Craig Taylor.

Inspectors found children to be 'happy' and 'developing learning through play effectively'.

"Staff have a warm and friendly approach to care giving," the report stated.

"The indoor environment provides stimulating opportunities for children to follow their own interests. The outdoor environment is currently being developed. Leaders manage the service with dedication and commitment."

The report added: "The out of school club children told us they enjoyed attending because they had fun building with the construction bricks, enjoyed talking with staff and playing on the interactive games.

"Children coped well with separation from their families and were comforted by staff when needed. They approached staff with ease and they had bonds of affection with them, happily sitting on their knee to have a story read to them.

"Children were familiar with the daily routines and showed us how they lined up to form a train before walking to the school hall for their lunch."

Leaders were praised for providing a safe and suitable environment.

Toys, resources and equipment were said to be of good quality and appropriate for the age ranges of children being cared for.

"Leaders provided children with a designated area to store their personal items and this created a sense of belonging," inspectors said.

"The outdoor play area was currently being developed but the areas which were available were used appropriately, encouraging children to develop their physical skills in the fresh air.

"Leaders made sure children’s art work was presented well, using natural materials such as hessian and black paper frames. This neutral colouring helped children to recognise their own work and identify displayed letters such as, their names, as their individual work stood out effectively."

The Care Inspectorate Wales made recommendations in relation to reviewing the nappy changing policy to include the procedures from current guidance and develop children’s learning about recycling and sustainability.