22/02/2022 was a rare and significant date for several reasons. It's a palindrome meaning it can be read the same forwards and backwards, and is seen as a once in a lifetime event. However, more excitingly for ACT, it also signified the first birthday of MAKI Pups!

Emerging from another period of lockdown on 22nd February 2021, the MAKI Pups team were ready and raring to go. They have welcomed several families and their children to MAKI Pups and have filled the last 12 months with exploring, climbing, balancing, learning, growing, jumping, building, laughing and forming new relationships. They have said goodbye to children who moved on to primary school and welcomed new families in August 2021. 

The dynamic MAKI Pups Team have developed the wonderful site in the Walled Gardens at Kilmory and beyond, providing children with an ever changing environment which is welcoming and where children feel safe to explore and experiment safely.

The service is going from strength to strength and will be adding an extra half day to their week from August 2022.

Another milestone for MAKI Pups this year was receiving a fantastic report from the Care Inspectorate.

In December, MAKI Pups had their first unannounced Care Inspectorate Inspection. Nursery Manager Erin showed the inspector around the site and explained the service provided by MAKI Pups. The inspector met with the children and staff team and observed part of a day in the life of a MAKI Pup. 

The children keenly showed the inspector around and talked about what they liked to do and the many different places that they liked to visit in the Walled Gardens. They also showed the inspector their floor book which highlighted what they had been learning about recently.

Erin had a follow up meeting with the inspector where she was asked more in depth about aspects of the MAKI Pups practice and policies. She then had to submit different examples of evidence as requested.

The inspection focussed on four quality indictors: Quality of care and support, Quality of environment, Quality of staffing and Quality of management and leadership. The grades were announced at a virtual meeting. 

In Erin's words "I cannot express how delighted I was to be awarded 4 grade 4s! It is a testament to all the hard work and determination put in by the team, myself and the wider ACT family.

The report captures the essence of MAKI Pups and the service that we offer.

The part of the report that stands out in particular for me is the fantastic feedback from parents:

‘MAKI Pups is a magical and extremely welcoming place and we feel very lucky to have this facility for our children who thrive there’

And also the acknowledgement of the amazing team we have here:

‘The staff are all incredible, friendly, creative, and highly skilled. The activities they plan and facilitate for the children are inspiring’".

Congratulations to everyone at MAKI Pups! You can read the Care Inspectorate Report here: 

MAKI Pups Care Inspectorate Report

The team are looking forward to the next year and will be developing the woodland site, welcoming more children and their families and expanding the nursery team. If you are interested in joining the MAKI Pups team you can find out more about vacancies here.