Safety concerns in nursery report

A Fleet Hargate nursery has been rated ‘inadequate’ after previously being ‘outstanding’.

The Willows Day Nursery in Old Main Road remains good for quality of education and behaviour and attitudes according to Ofsted.

But it’s been branded inadequate for leadership and management and personal development.

Children having “easy access” to cleaning products in the bathroom and having not been told how to hold scissors properly were among the examples given for inspectors ruling the nursery was “not fully risk assessed”.

“The manager and staff do not ensure that children are kept safe from potential hazards,” the report states following the inspection last month. “The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

“The manager and staff do not recognise hazards that children are exposed to.

“That said, the manager and staff know how to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect.”

It’s the first inspection since 2017.

The report does though contain particular praise for the pupils and education staff provide.

The report states that “children show positive relationships with staff”.

It praises staff for giving children specific roles and their politeness.

There’s also praise for staff particularly over their support for pupils to develop a love of books.

“Overall, staff use their curriculum to support children’s communication and language skills well,” it continues. “Staff say that they feel supported with their well-being and that they feel part of a nursery family.

“They have opportunities to reflect on their practice and to extend their professional development.

“This helps them to support children’s progress.

“Staff know the children well and quickly identify if there are any gaps in their learning.

“They work closely with parents and the special educational needs coordinator to put specific targets in place to support children’s individual needs.

“For example, staff show children pictures of activities to help them to understand routines in the day, promoting their emotional well-being.

“The manager uses additional funding effectively. For instance, the money is used to offer children extra sessions during the school holidays. This helps to provide consistency in their routines.”