Busy Bees Day Nursery in Rushmere St Andrew rated inadequate by Ofsted

The Busy Bees Day Nursery in St Andrews walk was inspected on January 30, where inspectors Jemma Hudson and Kate Hipperson judged the establishment to be inadequate in all areas.

The nursery was last rated good in August 2013.

The Ofsted report said: “Staffing arrangements do not consistently meet the needs of all children to ensure their safety at all times throughout the day.”

The report also identified weaknesses in teaching, and said: “Staff follow a rigid routine which does not consider the needs of children, particularly those who have special educational needs and disabilities or those who prefer to learn through sustained play.”

Other concerns were raised over staff deployment, assessments and outcome for children.

A spokeswoman from Busy bees admitted they were disappointed by the findings but work to address issues was already well underway.

“We respect the findings of the recent inspection report however we are extremely disappointed with the outcome as this isn’t the standard that we strive to uphold,” the spokeswoman said.

“We have already begun to address the points raised in the report, starting with putting intensive training programmes in place for all staff members at the nursery.

“The safety of the children in our care is always our top priority and we are committed to making the improvements required to bring the nursery back to the high standards our parents and children expect.”

Six improvement outcomes have been set for the nursery to achieve this month, including staff knowledge of safeguarding, additional support for staff in their skills and knowledge and improved assessment plans.

The inadequate rating is the second in the last two weeks in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency after an inspection published on January 27 for the Little Sprouts Playgroup also found a number of issues.

Staff at both say work is underway to rectify the shortcomings identified.