A NURSERY which opened this year has been deemed “inadequate” despite inspectors praising the quality of the education it provides.
Dragonfly Day Nursery, in North Hill, Colchester, opened in March and received its first Ofsted inspection last month.
In a report published by the education watchdog yesterday, the nursery was given an overall rating of “inadequate” despite it being deemed “good” in two sections of the report – including the quality of education.
Inspector Lyndsey Barwick criticised the nursery’s safeguarding arrangements noting that children’s health and safety could be compromised because of a lack of accurate record-keeping regarding children’s dietary requirements.
The inspector discovered information about what action must be taken in the event of an allergic reaction is not readily available.
Despite her concerns, she added that staff do understand the procedures they must follow if they have a safeguarding concern.
The report also praised the staff for stimulating the well-behaved children who “have formed friendships and play well with each other”.
The manager was also praised for having a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery which is shared across the team.
“They strive to deliver high-quality care and education,” the inspector wrote.
Parents told Ofsted their children are happy at the nursery, adding they are happy with the communication from staff.
Similarly, staff told the inspector they are well supported by the management team, who encourage them to attend regular training courses to improve their offering.
Dragonfly Day Nursery responds to 'inadequate' Ofsted rating
The nursery confirmed it has corrected the safeguarding concern raised by Ofsted.
A spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that on the day of the Ofsted inspection, the filing of some of our paperwork was less than perfect, even though all the staff were fully conversant with safeguarding protocols.
“We are pleased with the inspector’s findings about our operation in the main, particularly receiving a ‘good’ grading within both the quality of care and behaviours and attitudes areas of assessment.
“We look forward to growing and continuing to provide a great standard of childcare for the local community.”
They added the childcare provider feels it has assembled an excellent team despite a challenging recruitment environment.
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