The £74-a-day nursery where toddlers ‘stand for extended periods’ for lunch and are ‘isolated without clear reason’

A nursery in Oldham charging up to £74 a day has been told to make major changes by Ofsted having been hit with an ‘inadequate’ rating.

An inspection of Newbank Nursery, on Oldham Road between Royton and Shaw, was carried out in June.

The watchdog published its report on September 9 with concerns about how children are being looked after.

The nursery is run by Shine Childcare and charges up to £74 for a full day according to its website, or £65 a day for full-time children over 51 weeks.

Inspectors said in their report that ‘children’s safety and emotional well-being are compromised’.

Newbank bosses said they were ‘surprised’ by the outcome and has made a complaint to Ofsted about how the inspection was conducted after initially being cancelled ‘at very short notice’.

Ofsted was approached for comment and said it does not comment on individual inspections or complaints.

The watchdog’s report added: “The provider has not ensured that all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures, or how to implement these effectively.

“While staff have received some safeguarding training, this has not been effective.

"The provider has not maintained sufficient oversight of the setting or staff practice.

"Therefore, weaknesses have gone unnoticed.”

They also found that ‘at times some children are isolated from their peers without clear rationale’, and that ‘staff sometimes remove bowls before children have finished eating.’

Newbank Nursery caters for babies and children up to age 4 and has 133 children currently on roll, with 43 members of childcare staff according to the Ofsted report.

Children at the nursery have been made to ‘stand for extended periods waiting to enter the dining room or be served lunch’ inspectors noted, while staff had ‘not considered children’s needs or best interests when planning the day.’

The report added: “Although there are some systems in place to positively manage children’s behaviour, not all staff effectively implement these.

“Some staff feed children or wipe their faces without warning or explanation.

"In addition, some staff abruptly direct children without explanation, rather than encouraging children to complete tasks themselves.”

Ofsted said there were some positives from the inspection.

It found that staff are friendly and that children ‘generally enjoy their time’ at Newbank.

The nursery was praised for quickly reacting when children are unsettled, and inspectors described the baby room as ‘calm and nurturing, with positive attachments between staff and children.’

Newbank Nursery said: “The inspection was originally cancelled at very short notice on the morning of June 19, which left our staff team in limbo for a week before it finally took place on June 26.

“Naturally, this delay caused unnecessary stress and uncertainty.

"On the day, we raised concerns about aspects of the inspection process and some inaccurate assumptions that were made.

“We later submitted a formal complaint. While Ofsted acknowledged our concerns, they declined to amend the report, and there is unfortunately no effective right of appeal.

“The outcome was particularly surprising, as one of our sister nurseries, working to exactly the same processes, procedures, and curriculum, and overseen by the same leadership team, was recently graded Outstanding in all areas.

“Our focus now is firmly on moving forward. We acted immediately to address the training requirements and we remain confident in the quality of care and education we provide for the children every day.

“We have already written to Ofsted requesting that our next inspection be brought forward, as we are fully prepared and eager to demonstrate our strengths.

“We are grateful for the continued support and trust of our parents.

"The wellbeing, happiness, and development of the children remain at the heart of everything we do and remain our utmost priority.”

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