Nursery rated inadequate and then good

[peachesandsweets]

So I've signed my daughter up to start nursery next summer. At the time I did it the most recent ofstead inspection online rated it outstanding - however, I've looked again more recently and seen that in April they got an inadequate rating - and then again this month they have achieved good.

I'm now panicking a bit that the nursery I've chosen was able to score so low - even though they have clearly made some improvements. Am I being a bit precious or would this put anyone else off?

Have a look at the inadequate report. It might well be only one area that put them in that category that is now remedied hence the improvement. For example, if a provider has poor safeguarding procedures that can instantly drop them to inadequate, but fairly simply remedied with a quick spurt of staff training and improved procedures.

Getting an outstanding these days is near impossible. So I wouldn't let that put you off.

Is this a nursery in Gateshead?

@KnottyKnitting - thanks that's helpful - seems that it was safeguarding in terms of the older children being boisterous with each other and staff failing to respond appropriately. The next report says they've had training and changed ratios in the rooms which is good!

@JemmaM1982 - no it isn't, we're in Essex!

Take it from someone who works in a variety of nurseries, ofsted reports really aren't a true reflection. I have been to outstanding nurseries which have been appalling. I have also been to 'inadequate' nurseries which have been lovely.
If I were you, I would ask for information on why it was inadequate as you can request this. But honestly, I wouldn't give it too much thought. Ofsted visits are all based on one person's view of a setting which could be completely different to someone else's.
Maybe not a popular opinion but thats what I think x

If they were able to turn it around quickly, I'd be happy with that.

Besides. After being graded "outstanding", it was 6 years before a local nursery to me was inspected again. Staff turn over is often high in childcare, very few were still there, and there had been two other managers that never had an inspection in the mean time! Reports are barely worth the time it took to type them up.

From my own experience, I visited an outstanding childminder pretty much already decided that's where we'd be using.. and cried when I left at the thought of leaving my baby there.
He went to a "good" one, with previous ratings of requires improvement, instead. Those required improvements were dealt with, but also admin/paperwork based so not what I would prioritise as a parent anyway. He leaves next month and I'm gutted because he's been so happy there.