A Greenwich nursery where children “do not always feel safe and secure” has been rated as inadequate after its latest Ofsted inspection.

Storkway Nursery, based in Kidbrooke, was evaluated as inadequate in every area: behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, quality of education and personal development.

The nursery was inspected on July 5, 2023 and the report was published on September 5, 2023.

Inspectors found that there were breaches in safeguarding and welfare, impacting the learning and safety of the children.

Children were found not to always have warm and positive interactions with staff at Storkway Nursery and their learning and care were not always found to be supported.

For example, children with Special Educational Needs and Development (SEND) were not found to be supported by their key persons at all times.

Ofsted describe the quality of education as “poor”.

They said that staff are not always deployed in the best way to supervise children, so sometimes children were found to be left to their own devices.

Inspectors found that some of them spend a lot of time not engaged in “meaningful learning”.

They reported that children do not receive support and guidance from staff to understand their feelings and use that to adapt their behaviour.

Therefore, minor disagreements among children sometimes escalate and they become upset or hurt each other.

The report also noted that children “do not always feel safe and secure”.

Inspectors recognise that the manager has had problems recruiting staff here and as a result, the nursery has relied on agency staff to meet the required ratios and staff qualifications.

Ofsted has said this has had a “detrimental impact” on the quality of education provided.

Inspectors added: “The key-person system is not fully effective.

“Although all children have an allocated key person, they do not receive consistent personalised support and care from them.

“For example, babies become extremely distraught when their nappies are changed by staff who do not understand their emotional needs or how to reassure them.”

However, parents told Ofsted that they are “generally happy” with the nursery and described staff as “friendly and welcoming”.

Although, parents do feel that they do not receive regular feedback on their children’s progress so they can give continuity at home.

Children were found to show enthusiasm and engage well in activities they find interesting.

A spokesperson for Storkway Nursery said: “We are understandably extremely disappointed to have received an Inadequate rating during our recent Ofsted inspection.   

“While we have taken immediate steps to address the concerns raised by the inspector, we remain confident that the provision of care and education at our setting is excellent, and we are very proud of the level of care, skill, love, and dedication our staff show to the children on a daily basis. 

“We are incredibly grateful to our families for their understanding and support, and look forward to showcasing the high quality of our nursery at our re-inspection.”