WIGAN Council's four day nurseries have received top marks from government inspectors.

The units, which care for over 300 pre-school age childen, have been classed as excellent by an Ofsted team.

They are the Cavendish and Stonehouse Day Nurseries in Leigh, Atherton Day Nursery and the Kildare Street Day Nursery, Hindley.

Assistant director of social services (children and families), Hugh McLaughlin, said: "We congratulate them on achieving such good reports. I am especially glad that the word 'stimulating' occurs regularly, because that is certainly what we want our day nurseries to be.

"This is the best gift we can give our early years children."

The inspectors reported on six different areas of educational provision expected - personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development.

All four in all categories were declared to be "promoting the desirable outcomes."

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