A nursery in Bexleyheath has been rated as “inadequate” after an inspection by Ofsted.  

The Croft Day Nursery, in Upton Road, was given the rating as it was found that children who need extra support with their learning are often left alone. 

Schools are rated in four categories: outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate. 

The Bexleyheath nursery received the rating in an inspection in April 2022.  

It was rated inadequate for personal development and leadership.  

The report states: “Staffing arrangements do not meet the needs of children, particularly in the preschool room.  

“At times, there are not enough staff in the pre-school room to support children's learning and meet their individual needs.  

“Due to the lack of sufficient staff in the room, some negative behaviours are not noticed by staff. 

"Some staff working in the room do not know what the children need to learn and why.  

“Children who need extra support with their learning are often left alone.  

“This means that not all children make the progress that they are capable of.” 

The nursery was required to improve the quality of education and behaviour.  

Inspectors also said that recruitment and induction processes were “weak”. 

The report explains: “The provider fails to follow robust procedures to assess the suitability of staff working with children.  

“Some staff have not gone through any vetting checks to determine if they are suitable or not. 

“However, they are not left unsupervised.  

“The provider does not ensure that newly recruited staff are inducted appropriately to carry out their duties and responsibilities.  

“Some new staff do not know what the children's individual needs are and how to fully support them. 

“These weaknesses do not fully support children's welfare.” 

The nursery was praised for its “trusting” and "caring" relationships with the children.  

In the report, the inspectors said: “Staff are caring and have developed trusting relationships with the children.  

“Staff teach older children to understand different emotions, such as how to manage difficult situations appropriately.  

“In addition, staff offer regular praise and encouragement throughout the day to help boost children's self-esteem.  

“This builds successfully on children's confidence and independence.  

“Generally, most children behave well for their age.” 

The Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath has been approached for a comment.  

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