Children's safety is being put at risk at a nursery in north Bristol, according to an Ofsted report. Manor House Nursery, on Southmead Road in Westbury-on-Trym, has been rated inadequate following an inspection in August.
The nursery - which previously had a rating of "good" and has 60 pupils, aged one to four - said in a statement that it considers its procedures regarding child safety to be "completely sound". It also said it was working closely with Bristol City Council to ensure all policies are up to date and they meet statutory requirements.
The report - published at the end of September - said provision at the Westbury-on-Trym nursery is inadequate, adding: "Children's safety is put at risk. Some staff are not able to identify signs that may indicate safeguarding concerns.
"The designated safeguarding leads do not always recognise when to escalate concerns about children's welfare to other agencies and professionals."
Ofsted found that staff do not plan a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do to address what they need to learn next. Children spend the day playing contentedly, it continued, but are not supported or encouraged by staff to develop new skills and knowledge.
The report states that most children at Manor House Nursery are not "adequately challenged or stimulated". It said that some children spend large amounts of time playing silently by themselves and are not helped to choose activities that are appropriate for their stage of development.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who require more help do not receive sufficient attention from staff to target their individual needs, it adds. "They do not learn to concentrate or develop positive attitudes to learning and do not make good enough progress in preparation for later learning, including school," according to the report.
However, Ofsted praised the new manager and said she has developed ambitious plans to drive improvement but has not had sufficient time to embed them. This means there are "a significant number of breaches of requirements", adds the report, as the provider does not ensure that all staff and leaders can identify and report all safeguarding concerns appropriately, for instance.
It adds: "Partnerships with parents are ineffective. Leaders and staff do not share important information with parents about their children, such as their achievements, next steps in their learning and changes to the staff team.
"The manager is keen to address this and has already made plans to improve communication with parents."
The safeguarding arrangements at the nursery are described as "not effective" by Ofsted as, despite staff having completed appropriate child protection training, they do not know how to recognise the potential signs of all aspects of safeguarding.
"Leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead, do not always consider the importance of sharing information about children with other agencies and professionals," it continues. "This compromises children's safety. Staff risk assess the premises effectively and provide a safe and secure environment for children."
What the nursery says
In a statement, the nursery said: "Manor House is not prepared to comment on Ofsted reports other than to say that we consider our procedures regarding child safety to be completely sound. We are working closely with Bristol City Council to ensure all policies are up to date and they meet statutory requirements.
"Having shared the report with our parents, we have received positive responses, they feel that their children are safe and secure at Manor House. We continue to build on an inclusive nurturing environment that promotes independence and resilience."
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