FURTHER to your recent article concerning Quality Childcare, I agree entirely with the comments made by Sharon Chapman.

It is the quality of nursery provision that counts. We have recently opened a new nursery at St Mary's Convent School, Worcester, catering for children from birth to three years. We have employed qualified Early Years practitioners who have a thorough knowledge and understanding of child development, enabling them to provide a range of activities which facilitate, support and extend each individual child's development and learning.

We follow the recently introduced Birth to Three Matters Framework in order to ensure our practice is of a consistently high standard and that we are offering best practice at all times.

Our setting is exclusive in that it is housed within a cottage, which has been refurbished and furnished to an extremely high standard, providing the comfort of home.

Far from "hampering the social and emotional development of babies and toddlers" as Childcare expert Penelope Leach suggested in her recent report, I believe that in the right environment, with genuinely caring and knowledgeable practitioners, a child's development will be holistic.

PAULA LOWESMITH,

Early Years Manager,

St Mary's Convent School Kindergarten.