Worthing nursery director addresses Ofsted controversy after latest report published months after 'inadequate' rating

Following an inspection in March this year, Reflections Nursery, in Westerfields, Richmond Road, has been classed as ‘good’ for its ‘overall effectiveness’. Ofsted also gave a ‘good’ rating for; the quality of education; personal development and leadership and management. The behaviour and attitudes of children was rated as ‘outstanding’.

This comes six months after Reflections Nursery was rated as inadequate in all areas.

Rik McShane, director of nurseries for Dukes Education, said: “We are hugely delighted. I am so proud of the team, parents and children.

"At the time, we didn't feel it was a fair reflection of the practice we delivered daily but we took it on the chin.

"The team really rose to the challenge and did not get demotivated. It was a difficult experience but not negative one. It really helped us refocus.

"The parents have been so supportive and also are actually delighted and on-board with the changes, including new and additional things we've brought in. We are all delighted with the report itself.”

Ofsted controversy

Pressure is mounting on the schools watchdog in England after unions threatened legal action because Ofsted is continuing to carry out inspections without a full mental health assessment for teachers. Critics say the Ofsted grading system is too simplistic and fails to reflect the complexity of a school and its teaching quality.

It comes after Reading headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in January while awaiting an Ofsted report which downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest.

Mr McShane said: “It's a really difficult discussion to be had. We have a body that has been chosen and put in place to do a job. To make sure the standard of education in schools is consistent.

"That has evolved over the years. Ofsted have always tried to evolve with significant changes in terms of how they approach an inspection.

"It's a hard job an probably an unloved job if they give a negative message and a loved one if they give a positive one.

"It's a hard place to be in. I've always had the focus that what we do, day in, day out makes the biggest difference.

"Ofsted is a one-day judgement but the reality is, we should be good or outstanding every single day. That should be our focus.”

What did Ofsted say about Reflections?

The nursery had been rated as outstanding after an inspection in October 2021.

Following the inadequate rating in 2022, the school suffered another blow when Ofsted received a complaint about childcare provision.

On January 27, inspectors ‘carried out a regulatory visit’ and found the provider was ‘not meeting some of the requirements’. Ofsted subsequently served a welfare requirement notice.

This legal notice required the provider to take necessary actions to improve by February 21. Inspectors returned on March 1 and found the school had vastly improved.

The inspection report read: “Since the last inspection, leaders have taken significant action to drive improvement. They support staff to identify and prioritise what children need to learn. This is fully embedded so children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. This includes strategies in place to ensure that children with additional needs receive timely support to help them catch up.

“Parents and carers speak positively about the nursery and notice the changes that have been made since the last inspection. They comment favourably about how they receive good levels of communication regarding their children's progress."

The inspection report noted that children ‘demonstrate confidence’, adding: “They are eager to explore a broad range of exciting experiences that provide purposeful learning opportunities.

“Children behave very well and have positive relationships with friends and adults. Children independently problem-solve and work out how to negotiate with friends so that everyone feels included during play experiences.

“Babies develop secure attachments with their key persons. They receive sensitive support and encouragement as they explore well-organised play spaces.”

Inspectors found that staff support children to develop their communication and language skills ‘through a variety of different ways’.

The report added: “The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders implement coaching and training sessions to ensure that all staff have a robust understanding about how to keep children safe. Staff recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and have a secure understanding of a variety of safeguarding issues.

"All staff are clear about how to make a referral in line with local procedures. Furthermore, staff understand the reporting procedures to follow if they have a concern about a colleague's conduct. Senior leaders have enhanced safer recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that staff who work with children are suitable.”

Ofsted said there is room for improvement in the quality of the early years provision. The inspectors said the provider should ‘strengthen even further’ the strategies for supporting children who speak English as an additional language to ensure that communication is effective to the highest level and also ‘extend opportunities’ for children to learn about e-safety when accessing the internet.

‘We have worked very hard to recover’

Mr McShane said staff were ‘reeling’ in October but knew ‘there was a lot of good there at Reflections’.

"We were not building from scratch,” he said. “It's important to know there were great relationships with the parents and children, with great practice. It was about building on that.

“Our parents have been with us on this journey. We have communicated with them incredibly well. Staff have worked hard to keep them abreast of what we are doing, what's going on, what changes have happened.

"I would hope for none of them it was a surprise that it was such a positive report. That is what they see in the nursery.

“These things happen. If you have a team that works together, no body feels alone. We are all working as part of a team. We have worked very hard to recover from this."

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