Children party on at graduation ceremony

Children swapped crayons and glue for caps and gowns as they ‘graduated’ from Bishop Auckland College Nursery.

The 21 leavers enjoyed a special celebration evening as they move on to start school this September, with a party and graduation ceremony in the nursery garden.

Nursery Manager Donna Blackmore said: “The evening was a huge success and emotional for all the staff and families involved. We are very proud of the children and their achievements over their time in nursery and we wish them all well at their new schools.”

The nursery, which has been operating for 30 years, has spaces this autumn for all ages – from three months to five years – and funded places for two and three-year-olds.

Most staff have more than 20 years’ service at the nursery, which has a baby room catering for three months to two years, a toddler room for two to three years and a pre-school room for children aged three to five years – all led by a senior nursery nurse.

Ofsted inspectors rated the nursery as ‘Good’ after an inspection in 2019, praising the quality of teaching and range of activities and experiences for children, and the relationships between the highly qualified staff and parents.