Pre-school slammed by Ofsted in damning report

Children at a Rochdale pre-school don’t all have access to drinking water, according to a damning Ofsted report.

Children at a Rochdale pre-school don’t all have access to drinking water, according to a damning Ofsted report.

Little Stars Pre-school has been told they need to make urgent improvements in all categories by the education watchdog. Bosses at the pre-school said they have implemented an improvement plan to address the issues raised by Ofsted.

During a visit to the Fieldhouse Industrial Estate facility at the end of January, the inspector noted how a lack of positive culture around safeguarding left ‘children at significant risk of harm’.

The recently published report read: “Children do not have their own water cups and instead pour water into universal cups which others then use. Water is kept up on a ledge where some children cannot reach. 

“Therefore, those children who do not speak are unable to request a drink. Leaders do not make certain that staff follow good hygiene procedures. 

“For instance, staff do not consistently intervene to wipe children’s extremely runny noses. On the occasions that staff do intervene, they do not wash their own or children’s hands afterwards. 

“This does not help to teach children about their own health and wellbeing and puts them at risk of illness.”

Management at Little Stars denied this claim, saying all children have access to drinking water. The pre-school also pointed out they had been closed to children for the first few weeks of January due to disruption caused by burst pipes and flooding. 

They had only just reopened when the inspection took place and feel the inspection report doesn’t accurately reflect the running of the nursery.

The report went on to criticise the pre-school’s curriculum; leadership; and support for those with special educational needs and disabilities. 

Not all staff can recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and don’t know the procedures to follow if they do have concerns about a child, according to the report. Concerns over welfare were also raised by inspector Kayte Farrell. 

In response, a spokesperson for Little Stars said: “We are extremely disappointed with the outcome of the recent Ofsted inspection, and we have formally challenged aspects of the report. Following this, I also held a conversation with an inspector in March to raise concerns that the findings do not fully reflect the day-to-day reality of our setting.

“Little Stars Pre-School is a nurturing environment where children make strong progress and where we have consistently received positive feedback from families. We are proud of the relationships we have built with our children and parents, this remains at the heart of our practice.

“In relation to the point raised about access to drinking water, children do have access to water in both rooms. It is provided on trays at an appropriate height within reach, staff actively encourage and support all children, including quieter or non-verbal children, to drink regularly.

“Nevertheless, we have reviewed this further strengthened our approach to ensure accessibility is consistently clear and visible at all times. We take all feedback seriously and have already implemented a detailed improvement plan, including enhanced staff support, strengthened monitoring, and a renewed focus on consistency across practice. 

“We are also working closely with the local authority and other external support networks to ensure sustained and measurable improvement.

“Our priority remains the safety, wellbeing and development of every child in our care, as well as continuing to support local working families through our nursery, after-school and holiday provision.

“We remain fully committed to ongoing improvement and would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the progress made.”

Ofsted have issued the pre-school a Welfare Requirements Notice – requiring the provider to take specific actions in order to improve.