Safety, hygiene and safeguarding concerns at south Shropshire nursery rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted in damning report

Ofsted said leaders at Woodlands Nursery in Hope Bowdler "lack effective oversight", with staff failing to carry out routine checks "properly", and leaving bins unemptied, used cloths on the floor, sun cream accessible to children, and broken plastic and wood in the nursery's garden area.

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Staff were also found to not follow safety procedures, including checking the temperatures of children's meals, model hygienic behaviours, ensure there is sufficient hand-washing or fresh drinking water available, or make sure staff and children have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures.

Furthermore, Ofsted said staff said do not "consistently engage meaningfully" with all children, or always encourage children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to "participate in activities alongside their peers".

However, bosses at Woodlands Nursery have disputed the report and said the setting is set to be reinspected.

The Ofsted report published on Tuesday (October 7) rated the nursery 'inadequate' overall and across all inspection areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

"Leaders do not have effective oversight of the setting," the inspector said. "For example, they do not do enough to promote children's health or ensure that the environment and practices consistently keep children safe. 

• The full Ofsted report can be read here

"Some staff demonstrate behaviour that falls short of expected professional standards. This could negatively influence children's behaviour and their understanding of boundaries. 

"Other staff lack secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, including how to recognise and respond to concerns about children's safety. Furthermore, some children do not consistently receive quality engagement from staff, ultimately affecting their overall progress."

Woodlands Nursery was rated 'Good' across all areas in 2023 and 'Outstanding' in 2017. The nursery has expressed disappointment with the latest report's findings and says it expects to be reinspected.

A spokesperson said: "Woodlands Nursery has proudly served families for over 28 years and had many Ofsted inspections. We believe the recent Ofsted report does not reflect the reality of our nursery, and we had concerns that the inspector's conduct during the visit did not meet their high standards. 

"We will be reinspected and look forward to a balanced assessment of what we do, which is not what we feel we got last time."

The inspection was carried out on July 7 after concerns about the nursery were raised with Ofsted in May. The education watchdog said it was notified of further concerns on June 11.

Following this, on June 18, Ofsted carried out a regulatory visit where it found the provider was "not meeting some of the requirements". The nursery was served with a welfare requirements notice.  

Ofsted then visited for an inspection in July, and has rated the nursery 'inadequate'. However, despite criticism, the inspector said leaders are keen to address shortfalls. 

The report added: "There is potential for positive change. For instance, leaders respond constructively to concerns raised and demonstrate a clear commitment to improvement. They take full responsibility for weaknesses in practice and actively engage in professional dialogue, discussing how to address issues promptly."

Woodlands Nursery was issued a list of requirements to meet. 

This included improving the oversight of the setting, "especially in relation to risk assessments"; ensuring fresh drinking water is available, taking measures to "consistently maintain high hygiene standards", improving the monitoring of staff practice, and improving staff engagement with children to "ensure all children are fully included in routine activities, play and learning".