Boss insists "unsafe" nursery is the best it has ever been (From Croydon Guardian)

Boss of King Fishers Place in Thornton Heath insists "unsafe" nursery is the best it has ever been

2:20pm Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News By Chris Baynes, Reporter

The manager of a nursery rated inadequate in all areas in a damning Ofsted report has insisted the centre is the best it has ever been.

Inspectors said King Fishers Place in Galpins Road, Thornton Heath, had failed to sufficiently protect children from risk by allowing them to play with broken toys and take part in unsuitable and unsafe activities. 

The nursery also failed to complete criminal record checks for some staff, most of whom did not know how to manage children's behaviour, the report said.

Inspectors who visited the nursery in November rated it inadequate at meeting the needs of its children, contributing to the well-being of children, and leadership and management.

Their report said: "Most staff have insufficient understanding of how to manage children's behaviour and promote positive interactions.

"As a result, children do not learn how to communicate and share with other children.

"Staff have limited understanding of how to implement the learning and development requirements which results in an environment that is not enabling, stimulating or motivating for the children, leading to displays of frustration and conflict."

It added that babies at the nursery were tired and hungry and that staff were not vigilant enough about child safety.

Lyndsey Craig, area manager for the King Fishers private nursery chain, described the report as "upsetting".

She said: "We have never had an inadequate rating before.

"In my eyes the Galpin Road nursery is the best it's ever been. We have got lots of brilliant stuff but it just came apart on the day of the inspection. It can send a lot of people into a panic."

She said that the nursery recognised the importance of criminal records checks and that it had only failed to note the date one particular check had been completed.

She added: "I'm still happy with what we provide but obviously there are things we can improve on.

"We have got lots of things in place now and we are looking forward the inspectors coming back. We are quite confident that we will get a good rating when they do."