Little Toes Day Nursery has slammed Ofsted following an inspection which saw them rated as ‘inadequate’, with co-director Rachael Smith disputing the claims made in the report.
Within the report, compiled by inspector Justine Ellaway, Little Toes were rated ‘inadequate’ for their leadership, child development and quality of teaching whilst outcome for pupils was highlighted as ‘requires improvement’.
Within the report, Ellaway stated:
“Staff do not recognise when something might be posing a risk to children and therefore do not take steps to address it.
“For example, there are broken toys, resources and wood with exposed sharp edges in the large garden and small stones in the small garden area, which younger children pick up, and which pose a potential choking hazard.
“The baby room is at times exposed to direct sunlight, which means that the room and flooring become extremely hot.”
Following the report, Miss Smith submitted a formal complaint to Ofsted, telling one local Nottinghamshire newspaper:
“The report has been published however there is an ongoing investigation concerning the inspector and some of the comments made in the report.
“We at Little Toes are truly blessed with such wonderful parents. The support we have received in light of a recent injustice has just been phenomenal.
“I have an outstanding team of staff who are all brilliant as well as the parents of children who attend the setting, who have also been really supportive following the inspection.
“Many have got in touch to say they are very happy with how their children are cared for and frustrated by the report.
“I would like all parents to know that this inspection does not impact our other setting in Clifton and a new report should be published very shortly.”
Parents have continued to support the nursery and have been left baffled by the report, having had nothing but a positive experience. One mum said:
“As a parent of a child attending Little Toes, I would like it to be reinspected and I hope Ofsted agree to that.
“I can’t draw any conclusions or rely on any information that is presented by a document that seems so far removed from my own and my daughter’s experiences.”
Whilst the report highlighted many areas it feels the nursery needs to improve on, it did praise Little Toes for the well-behaved nature of the children in their care and the promptness of how they settled in, stating:
“Children who are new to the nursery receive appropriate support to help them to settle and feel comfortable.
“Staff discuss children’s routines with parents and carers so that they can make any necessary adjustments, for example, changes to their sleep routines during the day that benefit them during the night.”