Luton nursery told to improve after Ofsted inspection following complaint

A nursery in Luton has been told to improve after an Ofsted inspection following a complaint.

Bright Eyes Nursery, at Bethel Apostolic Church, on Mount Pleasant Road in Leagrave, was deemed as “requiring improvement” in all areas of assessment after a visit in November.

The report published on December 29 highlighted failures at the nursery, which had been previously rated as “good” by inspectors in March 2023.

Inspectors said: "The quality of teaching that children receive is variable. Staff do not provide clear and organised routines for children. This means they do not engage children in experiences consistently to promote their learning… Subsequently, children end up waiting with nothing to do."

Nursery director, Shantell Richards said: “I have made some changes to the structure and look forward to a positive future in Early Years. I am always grateful for the support from my parents and staff. We will continue to support the community.”

While there were some positives to the report, which stated that staff know their children, help to develop children's independence, and thoughtfully plan activities that build on children's physical development, inspectors found that staff were not implementing the curriculum well.

The report read: “Staff do not provide consistently good interactions and an environment that supports children to make good progress in their learning.

"The provider has identified training needs for staff. However, this training has not yet been embedded and staff's interactions with children require further improvement.

"Staff do not give equal attention to the quieter children. Furthermore, they do not skilfully extend children's learning.”

Ofsted called the arrangements for children with disabilities and special educational needs "disorganised". Inspectors said: “Staff liaise with parents and other professionals to share information about the child. However, there has been a change in staff who lead on this and, as a result, the provision lacks joined-up thinking. Therefore, staff do not provide focused experiences that promote good progress from these children's starting points.”

The nursery has been told to make sure that staff give the children secure routines to help them engage more deeply meet the needs of each child by giving them challenging and enjoyable experiences and make sure arrangements are effectively helping children with disabilities and additional needs.