An Ellesmere pre-school is no longer rated as inadequate after a recent Ofsted report.
Ellesmere Ducklings Pre-School has been given a rating of ‘good’ in the latest report by inspectors after previously being marked as ‘inadequate’ in an inspection at the end of last year.
In the previous report the pre-school was criticised after inspectors found the committee of the pre-school had “not completed all pre-employment checks on casual staff, specifically obtaining references.
“Therefore, not all staff have received the required checks to help to ensure they are safe to work with the children. This puts children's safety at risk.”
This marked the pre-school as inadequate, the lowest possible rating.
OTHER NEWS:
- In pictures: Recognise any familiar faces from Oswestry area life from 1990?
- Mortality rate six times higher for people with mental illnesses in Shropshire
- High hygiene rating issued to Oswestry takeaway by standards agency
However, in an inspection that took place at the beginning of last month (May 2) the pre-school was given a new rating of ‘good’ after this issue was addressed.
In the latest report inspectors noted “The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
“There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.”
Inspectors praised the work of staff at the pre-school and said: “Children are extremely happy and settled. They confidently and independently explore their environment, choosing where and what they want to play with.
“Children enjoy playing musical instruments and singing along to familiar songs and rhymes.
“Staff show the children high levels of care.
They also noted the improved leadership at the pre-school and said: “Leaders are passionate about their work. They are keen to use the views of others to help make continued improvements to the setting.
“Leaders now carry out suitability checks on all staff and maintain accurate records of this.
“Staff know their key children well. They find out key information about the children through discussions with parents. Staff then complete their own observations and assessments on the children. They use this information to help understand and better meet their key children's individual needs.
“Leaders make swift referrals to other professionals when they become concerned about a child's development.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here