High Peak nursery fights back after 'inadequate' Ofsted rating

Busy Bunnies Day Nursery in Thornsett, Birch Vale was previously rated as good but following the inspection it has dropped two grades and is now rated as ‘inadequate’.

However, owner Zoe O’Malley says the report is not a true reflection of the work at the nursery.

She said: “Our nursery is in a deprived area so to try and bridge the gap we do teeth brushing in our setting to help those who may not regularly brush their teeth at home.

"I see it as a positive for the nursery and the community but Ofsted found the negatives in this.”

Inspector Rebecca Sigley said: “Staff who work with babies are not following the government guidelines regarding brushing teeth. “This means that babies' health is not prioritised.”

The report also notes a difference between the baby room and the older pre-school room.

It states: “Babies and very young children do not receive the same level of engagement and interaction from staff compared to their pre-school-age peers.

“Staff who work with the younger children do not have the secure knowledge of child development and how to support younger children's personal needs and learning. Babies are often uninterested during their play because the activities provided by staff are very generic or not age-appropriate.

"Non-mobile babies are not given the opportunity to practise their developing physical skills, such as walking.”

Again Zoe defended her team and said: “We have a very ambitious curriculum which we follow in both rooms so to say the babies are uninterested is wrong.”It was noted in the report not all staff are aware of the correct safeguarding procedures to keep children safe but it did state all staff know how to recognise the signs ‘that a child may be at risk from other abuse, such as neglect’.

Zoe added: “We are open 11 hours a day for 51 weeks so an inspector coming for just five hours is not a true representation of the nursery and the level of care we provide.

The nursery will now be reinspected within six months.

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