A NURSERY has been rated 'inadequate' by OFSTED, with the regulator issuing a damning report.

Tops Salisbury was rated 'inadequate' by OFSTED with the regulator saying: "Poor staff deployment in the toddler and pre-school rooms puts children at risk of harm.”

The nursery at Salisbury District Hospital was previously rated ‘good’ by the regulator but was downgraded after an inspection carried out in July.

The report states: “Staff do not supervise children adequately and, as a result, they do not notice physical disagreements between children and rough play that results in injury.”

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It continued: “At times, children play unsafely without this being noticed by staff. For example, children throw paper aeroplanes into the wall fan and play with plug switches without staff noticing.

“At times, less experienced staff care for children without adequate support from other staff to be able to meet children's individual needs.”

The nursery has a total number of 104 spaces, with 198 children on roll. The age range at the time of inspection was from zero to 11.

The nursery, which provides funding for two-to-four-year-olds and opens Monday to Friday from 6am to 8pm.

A holiday club is provided for children up to the age of 14 years during school holidays.

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In a statement to the Journal, Tops Day Nurseries asserted: “We are very disappointed with the outcome of the recent Ofsted inspection as it does not fully reflect the dedication and hard work of our staff and the children in our care.

“The report highlights areas for improvement, and we acknowledge the feedback and are already taking steps to address the issues raised.

“However, whilst we fully respect Ofsted as our regulatory body we have raised a formal complaint with Ofsted regarding certain aspects of their findings and are now also raising these with an external body to investigate, as we believe they do not accurately reflect the quality of education and care we provide.”

In the report, OFSTED noted some relative positive, such as staff understanding of the curriculum, staff work with babies and whole-group activities.

The report also stated staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse.

Staff speak to children kindly and provide respectful care and children are reported to enjoy ‘plenty of exercise.’

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The nursery continued: “We remain fully committed to ensuring that every child receives the best possible start in life, and we will continue to work closely with the local authority, parents, and the wider community to make the necessary improvements.

“With the support of everyone involved, we are confident that we will be able to make positive changes and continue to offer a nurturing and supportive environment for the children.

“Our primary focus is on the well-being and development of the children in our care, and we are determined to take the necessary steps to ensure they receive the high standard of early years education they deserve.”