Inspectors have raised concerns about children being exposed to "hazards" at a "frequently chaotic" Nottingham nursery which has again been rated as 'inadequate'. Wollaton Village Day Nursery on Wollaton Road, Wollaton, was visited by Ofsted on March 1 - and the watchdog's critical report has now been published.
It said there were broken toys, deflated balloons and pieces of hose pipe lying around the play area - presenting a risk to youngsters. Inspectors also found toilet and playroom floors were not cleaned properly.
Staff were also seen to refill toddlers' bottles with chocolate milk, with Ofsted expressing worries about children's oral health. The nursery - which looks after 45 youngsters up to the age of 11 - had not responded to Nottinghamshire Live's request for a comment at the time of publication.
Are you planning an event for King Charles III’s Coronation? Let us know here
In 2019, the nursery was judged as 'good' by Ofsted - after receiving an 'inadequate' rating the previous year. In 2018, inspectors said they saw children picking up food to eat from a dirty floor at the nursery.
The latest Oftsed report said: "The provision is inadequate. Staff do not complete thorough risk assessments of the environment that children have access to.
"In addition, managers and staff do not ensure that children's health and hygiene are promoted at all times. This means children are exposed to hazards in the setting that have an impact on their safety and well-being.
"Overall, children are not encouraged by managers and staff to behave well. They regularly push others, snatch toys and play inappropriately with resources.
"The environment is frequently chaotic. For example, children run back and forth indoors with large push-along toys.
"This creates trip hazards for other children. On the rare occasion when staff step in, children ignore the requests to stop and return to their risky play. Staff do not pursue this."
The report added: "Staff... do not ensure the outdoor area is free from hazards before children go outside to play. There are broken toys, deflated balloons and pieces of hose pipe lying around the play area that present a risk to children.
"In addition, some children are able to access areas in the nursery that they should not, such as the office. Managers do not do enough to promote children's good health and hygiene.
"For example, toilet and playroom floors are not cleaned properly. This means children access areas that put them at risk of cross-infection.
"In addition, some staff ignore managers' requests to only allow healthy drinks in the setting; staff are observed to refill toddler's bottles with chocolate milk. This does not support children's good oral health.
"Staff do not manage children's behaviour well. Pre-school children frequently ignore staff requests to help tidy up and play nicely with others.
"This behaviour goes unchallenged and therefore children learn it is acceptable." The reported added that children are offered a "poorly designed curriculum".
"Staff do not provide interesting or challenging activities that link to children's individual needs," it added. The report did highlight some positives, however.
"Children are supported to develop their physical skills," it said. "For example, all children enjoy outdoor play.
"In addition, staff provide children with many creative activities. Parents are generally positive.
"They state their children enjoy attending the nursery and they feel they can raise any issues with staff. However, parents feel more communication would be useful to enable them to understand how their children are progressing."
Ofsted said the nursery needed to make a number of improvements, including identifying and minimising any potential hazards for children; implementing good hygiene practices; and improving the curriculum.
READ NEXT:
- Nottinghamshire Police release CCTV image after woman sexually assaulted on her way home
Teenager brandished machete in knife fight outside Nottingham College
Popular Nottingham restaurant closes after nearly 30 years of service
Heartfelt tributes pour in for Nottingham Rock City 'legend'
Jeremy Clarkson suffers sleepless nights after difficult 'goodbye' on Diddly Squat Farm
