A Belvedere nursery has sought to reassure parents following a damning Ofsted report that found babies were put at risk from choking hazards and unsafe lifting. Inspectors from the education regulator visited Twinnie Day Nursery in Abbey Road on April 9, concluding that four of the six areas assessed 'require attention'.
Ofsted Findings
The Ofsted report said staff did not consistently follow safer eating procedures, meaning food was not always prepared appropriately for infants at their age and stage of development. The report stated this did not ensure that babies were “kept safe from potential choking hazards.” It also said nursery staff did not prioritise safety when lifting babies, noting: “They do not follow safe lifting techniques to ensure the safety and wellbeing of babies is maintained effectively.”
In another finding, Ofsted inspectors said the design and implementation of the nursery’s curriculum was inconsistent across different classes and that nursery leaders did not monitor staff practice enough to ensure procedures were being followed correctly.
Nursery Response
Twinnie said it had formally raised concerns with Ofsted regarding the conduct of the inspectors. However, Ofsted declined to amend its findings. In response, Twinnie’s Nursery Manager Karin Vartia sought to reassure parents and the wider community that the concerns did not relate to any incident where a child came to harm.
“The concerns related to specific aspects of practice observed during the inspection. Nevertheless, we took the findings seriously and immediately reviewed procedures, strengthened training, and enhanced monitoring arrangements to ensure best practice is consistently maintained across the nursery,” she said.
Ms Vartia confirmed Twinnie had “acted immediately” to address the areas of concern raised. She said: “Additional staff training, monitoring, and quality assurance measures were implemented without delay to ensure complete consistency in practice across the setting.”
Positive Aspects
However, there were plenty of positive aspects highlighted in the report. These include safeguarding being effective, children making progress from their starting points, and the nursery having an inclusive environment where children with special educational needs and disabilities are welcomed.
Speaking of the positive aspects, Ms Vartia said: “Following our recent Ofsted inspection, we believe it is important to provide balance and context to the published report and to highlight the many positive findings that reflect the quality of care and education provided at our nursery every day.
“Most importantly, Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding standards are met. The report states that leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and where concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed, resulting in children being made safer and feeling safe. This is the foundation of everything we do and remains our highest priority.
“The report recognises that children are making progress from their starting points, developing independence, self-help skills, confidence, communication, and social development. Children are described as happy, safe, and secure within our setting, building strong attachments with staff who are attentive to their individual needs and wellbeing.”
Ms Vartia also said her nursery was proud that Ofsted inspectors had recognised the nursery’s inclusive nature, especially with SEND children, as well as how staff prioritised children’s communication and language development and how children enjoyed a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities.
Conclusion
Ms Vartia concluded: “Whilst we are naturally disappointed with some elements of the outcome, we remain focused on what matters most: providing a safe, nurturing, inclusive, and inspiring environment where children can flourish. We know our nursery, we know our children, and we see the positive impact of our work every single day.
“We remain incredibly proud of our dedicated staff team, our wonderful children, and the families who support us. Their achievements, happiness, development, and wellbeing will always be the true measure of our success, and we remain committed to continuously improving and delivering the highest standards of care and education for our community.”
