13th August 2002
ROUNDABOUT CELEBRATES 2nd BIRTHDAY WITH OFSTED PRAISE

Roundabout Dearne Community Childcare Centre in Bolton-on-Dearne, supported by Barnsley Development Agency's Community Economic Regeneration Team (CERT), is celebrating its second birthday with a double success. Not only is the community childcare centre now a sustainable community enterprise, but a recent Government (Ofsted) inspection also confirms that Roundabout is providing a very good service to the local community.

The Ofsted report looked at several key areas including the overall quality of learning; personal, social and emotional development; and physical and creative development. Among the specific comments made in the Ofsted report about Roundabout, it was said that "very good progress is being made in early reading skills", "children are displaying increasing confidence and self-esteem in their relationships and attitudes towards learning", and "the partnership with parents is a strong feature." Just as importantly, parents who use the centre on a daily basis are also highly complimentary about Roundabout.


Patricia O'Connor, mum of 3 year old Mason Robinson, commented: "Roundabout is convenient and affordable, Mason loves it and the staff are really friendly and helpful." These views are echoed by Samantha Fox, mum of Kristan, age 4: "I would recommend Roundabout to anyone - it really is an excellent, high quality facility and is just what the local community in Bolton needed." Roundabout is open five days a week from 7.30am - 6.00pm, and employs five qualified nursery nurses.

There are also four childcare assistants as part of Barnsley's Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) programme, designed to get the long-term unemployed back into work. All ILM employees that have started as carers at Roundabout so far have moved on to full time employment, either at Roundabout or elsewhere. Janet Bibby, BDA's Community Economic Regeneration Manager, said: "All the best attributes of a community working together towards a common goal are evident in the overwhelming success of Roundabout. The centre utilises a previously disused community library, provides affordable childcare, and creates real jobs at a local level. This is the type of project that will deliver the long-term regeneration of local communities in Barnsley, and we're delighted to be associated with it. We wish Roundabout every continued success for the future."

For further information on Roundabout contact Cheryl Cooper on 01709 890500 or Lynda Chapman at BDA's CERT Team on 01226 784444.

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