A Merseyside nursery was rated inadequate in their latest Ofsted report.
Bees Knees nursery on Park Street in Bootle was rated as inadequate in quality of education, behavioural attitudes, personal development leadership and management. Published by Ofsted on February 7th it was noted that induction processes and procedures for keeping staff's knowledge of safeguarding issues had 'lapsed'.
It also stated some staff are less aware of safeguarding concerns. The report said: "Staff know basic signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and have access to appropriate telephone numbers to report concerns. However, some staff are less aware of other safeguarding concerns, such as radicalisation and extremism".
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The report outlined that staff do not challenge bad behaviour properly, it said: "When incidents occur, such as hair pulling, staff do not challenge the behaviour sufficiently. They do not build opportunities into the curriculum to teach children how their actions have an impact on others. Children are not supported sufficiently to regulate their behaviour.
The report also said: "Staff do not have a clear view of each child's abilities. They do not clearly identify what children are to learn or how the activities they are planning build on what children already know and can do. As a result, they do not challenge children appropriately through the activities offered and children do not make sufficient progress in their learning".
Chief Executive of Bees Knees nursery, Paul Tomlinson said: “We are obviously disappointed with the grading. However, as Ofsted itself noted we had ‘significant changes in staff at Bees Knees but the new team is in place and working well. We have an entirely new management team and new staff in the nursery. The report is a snapshot taken just six weeks into the appointment of the new management team, had the routine inspection come just a few months later we are confident that this report would read completely differently.
"Ofsted themselves acknowledge this in the report ‘the new leadership and management team demonstrates a strong knowledge of the setting and the ability to evaluate it and make improvements. Informal conversations are taking place with staff, which are helping the management team to begin to address weaknesses in the provision’. We have a robust action plan in place and are confident that at the next inspection our rating will be significantly improved.”
