A group of children’s centres focusing on families from the most deprived parts of the Chippenham area has been rated outstanding by Ofsted.

The Rise Trust was praised for its closeness to the community and the exceptionally high numbers of families that were registered and engaging with its programmes, with no one turned away.

The report, published on December 16, reads: “The group is extremely proactive in taking services to communities, rather than waiting for them to come to centres. For example, the development of a satellite centre and Early Excellence Centre at Charter School, in one of the most deprived parts of the area, means that more families are now accessing sessions and programmes.”

The Rise Trust, a Christian charity, has led and managed The Rise, King’s Rise and Spring Rise Children’s Centres on behalf of Wiltshire Council since spring 2013.

It serves about 2,380 children under five and their families, prioritising teenage and young parents, vulnerable two-year-olds entitled to free early education, families experiencing domestic abuse and families from minority ethnic groups.

Trust chief executive Pauline Monaghan said: “It’s amazing to get this because we’re just a small local charity.

“We’ve achieved it because of the wonderful partnership we have in Chippenham with the local agencies, but most of all with the amazing parents, who turned out in very large numbers to speak to the inspector.”

The inspector said the trust could improve by making sure the quality of case file recording always reflected the quality of the family support work delivered.

Recruitment business 24-7 Staffing last week presented the Trust with £1,258 raised in the summer’s dragon boat races. See the report at www.therisetrust.org