Nursery near Shrewsbury given 'requires improvement' rating after recent Ofsted inspection
A children's nursery near Shrewsbury has been told it must improve after Ofsted raised concerns over staff changes and children's learning support.
Hillside House Nursery in Hook-A-Gate, that received top marks at its previous inspection, has been slapped with a 'requires improvement' rating following a recent visit in September.
Ofsted said recent staff changes have disrupted the nursery's "key-person system", meaning there are frequent changes in the staff caring for babies.
In a report published on Wednesday (October 8), the inspector also found that staff do not always understand why they plan certain activities or what they want children to learn from them.
While children were observed enjoying activities including painting or playing outdoors, Ofsted said they are not "well-enough supported" to make progress in their learning.
The nursery received a 'requires improvement' rating overall and across all four key inspection areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
The nursery was previous rated 'outstanding' across the board in 2022.
The report said: "There are inconsistencies in the key-person system. Staffing arrangements mean that babies do not always have their key person or core staff present.
"Some babies, particularly those who are new to the setting, are at times very unsettled. Although there are enough staff present, they are not always familiar to the children. This means that babies are not supported to build settled relationships with familiar staff to help them to feel secure.
"Furthermore, recent staff changes mean that some key persons do not know about older children's current stages of development or next steps in their learning. This means that they do not receive tailored learning experiences to support them to make progress in their development."
However, the nursery was praised for offering children "ample opportunities" to develop their independence, and children's behaviour was commended.
To improve, Ofsted said the nursery must: "Ensure that the key-person system is effective to support children to build settled relationships and provide care and learning that is tailored to meet their individual needs."
The report added that the nursery should develop planning for activities, improve the consistency of information shared with parents so that they are fully engaged in their children's care and learning, and monitor staff and evaluate their practice more precisely to strengthen their teaching skills.
The full report can be read here. Hillside House Nursery was contacted for comment.
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