Children, parents and staff at St Meryl in Carpenders Park are celebrating after the school received the Herts Quality Standard (HQS) award in recognition of its high quality provision in the early years.

The focus of HQS is on leadership, parent and child participation and action planning. It also involved a very comprehensive audit of the learning environment.

Headteacher Michele Geddes said: “This is a tremendous achievement and one that we are incredibly proud of.

“It is testament to the dedication and commitment shown by the early years team in ensuring high quality provision and best outcomes for our children.

“My thanks go to them and to the parents who have supported and worked in partnership with us during the journey.”