Safeguarding standards met at Ivinghoe nursery but Ofsted report says some areas 'need attention'
An Ofsted report has found that safeguarding standards are being met at a nursery based in Ivinghoe – but some areas ‘need attention.’
The report into Ashridge Day Nursery’s Pitstone and Ivinghoe site, which is located on Station Road in Ivinghoe, said that the setting had ‘an open and positive culture of safeguarding.’
It also found that the nursery met the expected standards in behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, children’s welfare and wellbeing and leadership and governance.
However, it added that the areas of achievement, curriculum and teaching and inclusion needed attention.
The report follows an inspection of the nursery in April, when 85 children were on its roll.
In relation to behaviour and attitudes the report said that ‘children behave well, and that staff established ‘familiar and consistent routines.’
On the area of welfare and wellbeing the report noted that ‘staff were kind, caring and attentive to meeting children’s individual needs’, and said that ‘children felt safe, settled and confident in the setting.’
In relation to leadership and governance the report acknowledged there had been recent changes in leadership at the nursery saying: “Leaders have successfully prioritised establishing a settled and stable staff team to ensure children receive consistent care.
“Overall, leaders demonstrate the commitment and capacity to improve outcomes for children and ensure that the nursery continues to develop in a positive direction.”
The report highlighted three areas that needed attention, including achievement, which it described as ‘variable’, adding: “The curriculum is not consistently well organised or securely embedded.”
It acknowledged that the new leadership team recognised the need to reshape the curriculum and noted that a new curriculum was implemented last month.
The report also highlighted the area of inclusion as needing attention, saying that leaders “do not always act swiftly enough when children do not achieve their identified next steps.”
It also highlighted how at times “the next steps identified for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not sufficiently well matched to their individual needs.”
It acknowledges that action was taken in this area last month to “focus greater attention on assessing the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to inform the development of a curriculum, and directed support, that fully meets their needs.”
Ashridge Day Nursery has been approached for comment.