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Children’s Nursery Given ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted Rating

Published on: 8 Mar, 2023
Updated on: 13 Mar, 2023

The Busy Bees Nursery website which says that it has been operating for 40 years.

By Emily Coady-Stemp

local democracy reporter

A Guildford nursery has apologised to families after Ofsted inspectors said children’s safety and well-being were “compromised” and rated it inadequate.

A report said the safety and welfare of children could not be assured at the Busy Bees Day Nursery in Gill Avenue, Guildford, raising concerns over children using a water tray unobserved and “minimal interaction” with children with additional needs.

In a report released on March 1 after a January 30 inspection, inspectors said: “Staff do not carry out effective risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe for children.

“For example, children slip on water that has not been identified and cleaned up, and they fall from apparatus that is not appropriately supervised.

“Accidents happen that could be avoided.”

The nursery, which is next to the Royal Surrey County Hospital, was given an “inadequate” rating.

A Busy Bees spokesperson said while they respected the content of the report, they were “very disappointed with the overall outcome”.

The spokesperson added: “We are committed to delivering only the best possible childcare for all the children and families at our nursery and apologise to them for not meeting the required standards at the time of this inspection.”

Inspectors set out six requirements to be met by February 15, and set out a legal notice called a “welfare requirements notice” that they must be met within the time.

They carried out a follow up visit on February 17, where inspectors said the nursery had improved staff safeguarding and child protection knowledge.

The follow-up report said: “We are satisfied the provider has met the safeguarding and welfare actions raised.

“The provider is still registered with Ofsted.”

The report on the January inspection raised concerns about children not always being observed during certain activities, and said; “Failings in safeguarding compromise the children’s safety and well-being.”

Inspectors said a lack of effective risk assessment meant children played in a “big water tray” with “relatively deep” water which needed to be monitored by staff and put children “at potential risk”.

The report said: “Furthermore, staff are not consistent in their approach when enforcing appropriate rules and boundaries.

“Children play in the water without aprons, despite this being a rule of the setting.

“This has an impact on how children develop a sense of what is right and wrong.”

While the report said systems were in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the special educational needs coordinator was knowledgeable about how to support children, there were still issues.

Inspectors said: “Staff attention is stretched, and children with SEND have minimal interaction, although this is a focus of their tailored plans.

“Staff do not give clear instructions to children.

“For example, children with SEND run across the room.

“Staff give children instructions to stop running inside while walking behind them and expect this to be followed.”

Concerns were also raised about some occasions when there were only unqualified staff caring for the youngest children.

Despite staff not using children’s interests to “provide learning experiences where children can become engrossed and find out by exploring”, inspectors said: “Children appear happy to be at the setting, and they will go to the adults for support.”

The Busy Bees spokesperson said action was taken immediately after the visit to improve across all areas highlighted by inspectors and a detailed action plan had been put in place.

They said parents were being kept up to date with improvements and progress being made.

They added: “The nursery is being supported by additional Busy Bees expertise and we will be working closely with the local authority to do whatever it takes to deliver the standards parents and children expect.”

Amy Davies, operations director for Busy Bees said, “In the time since the inspectors visited our nursery we have addressed all of the points they raised.

“We are committed to the safety and well-being of all children at our nursery as our highest priority and we will ensure we provide that.

“We have great relationships with parents, which we value enormously, and can only apologise for falling below the standards they expect of us.

“I am confident that next time Ofsted visit there will be a very different and much more positive outcome.”

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