Changing nurseries because of a poor OFSTED report - silly?

[Dilettante]

DS goes to nursery 2 mornings a week for 3 hours each session. He goes to give him a chance to play with kids his own age and to give me some time for stuff I need to catch up on (DH works all the time, so no help with childcare).

I picked the nursery because it is literally across the road from my house and despite it not being the best nursery I saw (he is on waiting list for that one) they had the hours available I wanted and it seemed OK, not great, but fine. He seems happy enough there, always wants to go in the morning and seems to do lots of painting and arty stuff etc.

However, I've always felt that there is no way I would be happy to leave him there on a full time basis, because I don't feel that he would be getting a well rounded experience IYKWIM. I've always felt that 3 hours twice a week to play with the sand tray and a load of different toys and some kids his own age was one thing, but that five days a week the nursery just doesn't seem that encouraging or organised or child centred. The activities and facilities aren't that great and the staff are all a bit weary (though in his age group he has a good keyworker, which is why I've kept him there).

Their last Ofsted report was satisfactory, their new one is poor and quite negative. I have already got him on a waiting list for the other nursery that I liked but that is popular and oversubscribed and there won't be a place until September.

So, in my position, would you keep your DC where they were or would you try to move them to somewhere else while you waited for your first choice nursery to become available? I don't want to move him about too much and cause upheaval but neither do I want him to be somewhere that is considered to be a "failing" nursery...

I'd leave him there if he's happy. Most important thing pre-preschool is fun and games, and if his keyworker's providing that then that should be enough. You could also look into a local childminder if you're worried? But 3 hours twice a week isn't much in the grand scheme of things...

I'd leave him there as well as long as it is only for a few hours a week and he seems to be having fun. It is like going to a toddler group (although clearly costs you more). BUT it depends on the nature of the negative report. If there are specific worries over safety, hygiene etc then that's another thing.

My LO is also at a nursery that I have some reservations about - despite a very positive OFSTED report - and we're on a list for other places now because for full time care I don't feel happy at letting the situation drag on. Like you, I worry about the attitude of the staff, the care they take, and how much stimulation there is, but for five days a week.

Keep him on the list for September though, and you could move then if you still want to. Resettling him for a few months and then moving could be an unhappy experience for you both. And OFSTED reports may not be the best guide to choosing a good place.

In the short term while you wait for your 1st choice nursery it depends on what the problems identified by OFSTED were and whether they are important to you. My DC's nursery had a report that was great but one of the criticisms was that when watering flowers in the garden they didn't take the opportunity to talk about death when noticing some of the flowers were dying. Personally that's ok by me. If it had been something unsafe they had been doing I'd be more concerned.

Thanks everyone. I know what you mean about it depending what was in the OFSTED report - the negative stuff wasn't about safety or hygiene or the quality of care as such, it was mostly about them not yet having got into gear with the Early Years Foundation Stage. Which, on balance, I can live with, esp as I have noticed they have really been trying to implement the various suggestions made in the report.

Hi Dilettante,
Our nursery just got its OFSTED report, again it wasn't brilliant but a lot of this was to do with the EYFS stuff and documenting things according to the guidelines. But this doesn't take away from nursery. Like you say, you really have to look at what's in the report - is it a serious problem or is it paperwork??!

Sorry meant to say "but this doesn't take away the fact that it's an absolutely brilliant nursery". Not sure where half my sentence just went...

OfSTED can be misleading. If your son is happy, you are happy and the environment suits him then the nursery is good. However, it seems that you aren't happy with the place and never have been. If that is the case then keep him in the safest place you can, which is with you.

Mung - I don't have any reservations about leaving him there, he enjoys going, and I trust the staff. I don't feel that it's an issue of safety etc. If it was, there is no way I would continue to take him.

I guess my point was that until I read the new OFSTED report, I was happy enough for him to go for a couple of sessions a week because I had the gut feeling of it being "alright in the interim". I think reading the OFSTED report made me think - should I be doing something different? Should I move him? But tbh the report didn't really tell me anything I didn't already suspect really...hence why he is on the waiting list for another place.

Could I ask whether any of the nurseries with the "poor report" are Playdays on Queens Road. I have heard that it had a poor report and am considering sending my child there. I certainly would like to understand the detail of the report, before changing my mind as it seems very nice. Any comments or general views on the nursery?

Not on my part - have you looked it up on the OFSTED site? They are available to view when they are published.

i would take him out then, an awful lot of nurseries cut corners and i would not be happy if if that was my childs nursery. some places dont have the material and therefore dont do much activities with the children, although most are supposed to be all set up for childs own choie. i am a nursery nurse and i have once worked in a nursery ery unorganised and was not hay there, the staff are cut to keep money down although it is supposed to eb as et ratio in was once left with 22 children and not just the stress of us working its the children are not getting the right attention and then staff are to blame. the standards are not that hard to meet in nursery s so if i was you id lok else were