We are delighted to announce that our exceptional Early Years team has been awarded the Gold Award through the HFL (Hertfordshire) Education Early Years Quality Standards (EYQS) Programme.

This prestigious national award recognises the very highest standards in Early Years education and celebrates our team's unwavering commitment to providing outstanding learning experiences for every child.

The Gold Award reflects the passion, expertise and dedication of our staff, who work tirelessly to create a nurturing, stimulating and inspiring environment where every child is encouraged to thrive, explore and develop a lifelong love of learning.

This achievement marks the culmination of an incredible year for Mount Stewart Early Years.

Alongside achieving the Gold Award, we are immensely proud to have been selected by the Department for Education (DfE) as the Lead Setting for the Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, supporting early years providers across Brent, Harrow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth and Merton. This national recognition demonstrates the quality of practice taking place every day at Mount Stewart and enables our expert team to share best practice with schools, nurseries and childminders across five London boroughs.

Being both a Gold Award-winning Early Years setting and a DfE Early Years Stronger Practice Hub means that our children benefit from the very latest research, evidence-informed teaching and outstanding professional expertise. Our curriculum is carefully designed to develop confident, curious and resilient learners, ensuring every child is given the very best start to their educational journey.

Headteacher Sally Newing said:

"I could not be prouder of our Early Years team. Their dedication, professionalism and relentless commitment to providing the very best for our youngest children have been recognised nationally through both the Gold Award and our designation as a DfE Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. These achievements reflect the exceptional quality of education we provide every day and our ambition to continually strive for excellence."

If you are looking for an Early Years setting where children are happy, nurtured, challenged and inspired to achieve their full potential, we warmly invite you to come and see Mount Stewart for yourself. We would be delighted to show you why so many families choose our school and why our Early Years provision is recognised as one of the very best.

Congratulations once again to our fantastic Early Years team on this exceptional achievement. What an incredible year!