Nursery rated inadequate - what should I do?

[ArghNursery]

I’ve searched for old threads on this which all say it depends on the report. My baby hasn’t started there yet but I’ve paid deposit. They challenged the report so 3 months delay in publishing it - so they would have known when I was viewing and paid deposit. We were messaged when it was published last week.

What should I do? What if they say I must start there and fulfill notice?

reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY488983

Hi Nursery Nurse with 25 years experience here. It seems like the staff need a slap and to be told to do what they should be doing. The fact they don't have enough sense to do it while being watched by inspectors is worrying. Makes me doubt that they are aware of the bleeding obvious bits of childcare.
They need good managers and room leaders but can they get them? There is a higher up management teams with business type directors who could probably get things sorted.
The pictures of bright coloured walls and rugs shows they're behind the times with current practices.

What have they said about the report?

Thank you for the reply @Mysterian. I got an email before weekend so not spoken to them yet, the email was quite vague, more about their disappointment and working hard. But then you read the report and it’s really bad.

Is it really behind the times on current practices? What should we look for? I felt really confident about it, and this has made me really doubt my instincts about choosing somewhere for my baby. It’s the most expensive nursery in the area. It has nice rooms are gardens, the staff seemed really nice. Management seemed on the ball.

If the management are on the ball and are willing to tell staff "do it better or we'll sack you", and then make it possible for staff to do it better, it'll probably be ok. Although they'll also need to be able to recruit new staff.

My comment about current practices is based entirely on the colour of the walls. If you're trying to work at a computer it's unhelpful to have somebody stand behind it jumping up and down and shouting at you. That's what the walls are doing. A child might be doing a puzzle but behind it is a wall trying to distract them. It's all neutrals in nurseries now. Children should be looking at toys, artwork, books, etc. Not walls and carpets.

Surely the worst that can happen is that you lose your deposit. They cant make your child start there.

Was any reference made to their Ofsted rating, which at the time you arranged care you believed to be good? As if so, I thnk you've got a fair argument to get your deposit back as they knew that was misleading.

Regardless of the money though, no way should you sent your child there. That really is a damming report and they cant even get basic safety right.

That’s the conclusion we came to @Shakirasma, but now wondering if we jumped the gun. We’re viewing other nurseries now, but they don’t seem as “nice” as this one, but know parents who are happy with their kids there.

That’s why I posted as, after the initial shock, my thoughts are maybe it’s the older rooms letting the baby room down as I can’t quite match the report to what I saw and who I met. Need some MN commenters to give me the real deal.

I’m finding it hard to decide on another nursery now and am considering using my mum for childcare (stately homes thread worthy relationship, so bad idea) or not going back to work (stupid and maybe not even possible at this late stage). I’m suspicious of any nursery that has availability. Commuter friendly opening times narrow our choice. And of course the most wanted and raved about in the area has a year long wait before even part time space comes up!

That’s what I find confusing @Mysterian, they have little staff turnover and they’ve mostly all been there since it opened.

It would be a hard NO from me. The fact that breech if health and safety are reported over and over again would mean no way in hell would my child be attending. I work in education setting and can read around an ofsted report and know they are not the be all and end all. However, this one is damming. Poor leadership and chronic health and safety problems. No thank you. Keep looking @ArghNursery you will find something better. I looked at loads of nursery’s before I settled in the one DS goes to

The health and safety stuff is worrying as it should be really obvious things to have in place.
I looked round two nurseries for DD - one rated good and one outstanding. And was amazed at the difference between the two - the outstanding one had much better systems in place whereas the other was rather chaotic. I'd keep looking - it's easy enough to come across as 'nice' to a parent on a short visit.

I wouldn't send my child somewhere that had cables hanging over sleeping areas! I would lose my deposit.

I paid the deposit through the government account. It’s described as refundable in all the documents but not sure under what circumstances, it’s usually deducted from a bill.

The deposit isn’t influencing my decision, I made this thread to understand if I’m over or under reacting. Thank you for your reply @Whatelsecouldibecalled, I know Ofsted reports can say more if you’re familiar with them, and it’s good to know it’s not “just paperwork”. Though I agree with @RidingMyBike, paperwork done right means other things are right. I’d been speaking to the manager for a while though.

I go back to work in 3 weeks and that’s more my I don’t know what to do … not the deposit. I can’t make myself like another place enough, when I misjudged this one.

And I’m dreading calling them tomorrow and saying we’re not going.

We've been looking round primaries recently as moving house so need to transfer DD. We were happy to consider a couple that were 'requires' improvement' because both had been rated as that several years ago, had had time to make changes, different headteachers now in place compared to OFSTED report. And neither of them had 'requires improvement' about either safeguarding or health and safety. Both could provide credible accounts of what they'd done to improve.

I wouldn't have considered one that had just received that rating. Especially where it concerns safeguarding or the health and safety stuff. I must admit I was also rather dubious about the one that was rated 'excellent' but hadn't actually been inspected at all for ten years!

Good luck!

The report is inadequate in 3 areas which is pretty damning.
Especially the bit about not providing a safe hygienic environment.

Inadequate safeguarding!!! No bloody way would my kids go there

Ok I’ve called them to say won’t be using and they offered back my deposit before I even asked. So I was a ball of nerves for no reason. They were lovely on the phone, as they have been through the whole process, I’d been in touch with them since baby was born. I’m still really shocked. I didn’t ask too many questions as DH and I had decided and this thread helped me be confident in decision. Thank you everyone for your replies I’m going to NC back now. On to finding somewhere else ASAP!

I can't believe the deposit that was no issue to you made you 'a ball of nerves' but the wholly shocking safeguarding didn't!

I don’t usually get too hung up on Ofsted reports but that is awful and I think you are right not to send your baby there.
The lack of learning and curriculum wouldn’t bother me but the lack of safety and cleanliness is a big deal

You've made the right decision. I read the report and honestly I was shocked! Inadequate hygiene is bad enough but kids jumping on beds and total lack of safety. You would be worried all day about ur little one if u put them in there.

I was a ball of nerves about speaking to them on the phone. I have PNA. I wasn’t a ball of nerves about the deposit, that sentence was to show how opposite it was to the confrontation I was worried about. I really don’t need MN commenters piling in, I’ve had helpful comments which I’m really grateful for, for getting me through this shock and sudden change I need to get on on top of ASAP.