By John Baron
An Ofsted report into a Farsley nursery does not offer a true reflection of its work, its owners have said.
Ofsted inspector Yvette Brown said in her report that Little People Farfield in Cote Lane ‘required improvement’ in the quality of education it provides, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.
Vicky Hallas-Fawcett, the owner of Little People, said staff had been left feeling upset about the findings of the inspection, which had been carried out in June. She said: “We were extremely disappointed that on the day of our inspection the inspector picked up on two small tweaks in our practise that she considered required improvement.
“She described these to us as quick fixes, and the report reflects this as she dated the actions to be completed within the following week, which has been done.
“We now patiently await re-inspection when we hope to return to our previous grading of ‘good’ which we have held for the last 20 years.
“We would like to thank our wonderful parent community who have helped raise our team’s spirits after the disappointing outcome which isn’t a true reflection of the nursery.”
The nursery, which had rated as ‘good’ at its previous inspection in 2017, has been told to ensure that staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and to deploy staff effectively to support the developmental and individual needs of all children, particularly the opportunities provided for younger children.
The report added: “Children do not consistently benefit from high-quality teaching and learning. Staff do not provide young children with opportunities that build on their interests and extend their learning, particularly in the outdoor learning environment.
“That said, older children are confident learners. They chat with the inspector about their recent interest in ‘Big Ben’. They enjoy describing the other landmarks that interest them, and are very proud of the drawings that they have completed. This is met with lots of praise and encouragement from staff, which supports children’s well- being.”
The report went on to praise safeguarding arrangements at the nursery, the opportunities to learn about the local community and the provision for babies. It also said that children thoroughly enjoy the activities on offer.
It added: “Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. They happily wave goodbye to their family, with a smile. Children are happy to see their friends. They run to them, offering an affectionate greeting. Children have good relationships with staff. This is because there is an effective key-person system in place. Staff know children well and chat alongside them as they play.”
The full report can be read here.
