'Outstanding' nursery in Sunbury has been downgraded to inadequate
An education watchdog said children’s safety and well-being are “compromised”
The Pavilion Day Nursery, in Sunbury, had its rating downgraded after an Ofsted visit on October 27 because it was found that staff were not clear on the importance of declaring any changes, including to their health, which may affect their suitability of working with children.
The nursery manager said staff were “devastated” about the rating, and that a parenting meeting had been held to explain the issues that had led to the downgrading.
The inspection came about after a risk assessment because of a concern raised about an associated individual.
It found that the nursery had made improvements to the recruitment and vetting procedures for temporary staff but that the systems in place for monitoring ongoing suitability of permanent staff were not robust.
The Ofsted report said: “The procedures in place are not consistently followed. Therefore, staff are not clear on the importance of declaring anything that may impact their ongoing suitability, including changes to their health. As a result, children’s safety and well-being are compromised.”
The report also found that staff responded well to children’s care needs and knew procedures to follow if they had concerns about a child’s safety or well-being.
It said managers were aware of the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and that gaps in children’s learning were identified at the earliest opportunity.
Sarah Tuman, Pavilion Day Nursery manager, said Ofsted were now satisfied with the action after a concern was raised regarding an associated individual.
She said ongoing suitability procedures were already in place and all staff were aware of their responsibilities but that inconsistencies in paperwork had led to the overall judgement. She added that following the inspection, paperwork and staff discussions have been reviewed.
She said a parent meeting was held to explain the rating and the safeguarding measures in place.
‘The support from our parents has been overwhelming’
Ms Tuman said: “Parents are fully satisfied with the safeguarding measures the nursery has in place and understand that the grading was due to minor inconsistencies in paperwork rather than a serious safeguarding issue. The support from our parents has been overwhelming.
“We take safeguarding extremely seriously. My team are truly devastated by the judgement. Both nursery staff and parents feel the overall outcome is not a true reflection of the nursery or the dedication of the staff.
“Collectively and individually, we do everything to provide children with the care and education they deserve, which is reflected in the report, especially in the areas of the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes.”
Ofsted will inspect the nursery again in the next five months.
You can find the full report online.