THE standard of the early years provision at a Rawtenstall pre-school is good, according to Ofsted.

During an inspection of St James-the-Less Pre-School, in Burnley Road, officials found that the learning programme for language and communication was very effective.

Inspector Janet Singleton said in a report: “Children make good progress in their learning because robust observations and secure assessments are completed.

“Children's independence is given high priority and as a result, children make decisions about what they want to do and are very confident and active learners.”

To improve to an outstanding facility, it was recommended staff ask more open-ended questions and provide more opportunities for older children to experiment with numbers.