A nursery in Dundee has been ordered to make improvements after its quality of care was described as “weak” in consecutive inspections.
Officials from the Care Inspectorate ruled that the Law Nursery School required further improvement, despite attempts to address some of the concerns raised in a prior inspection.
The inspectors’ report said: “The service had not maintained the standard identified at the last inspection.
“Several management changes have taken place, and the current head teacher only commenced in post in late October 2015.
“There was an upheld complaint about the service in June 2015 in relation to staff’s approach to supporting children.
“The inspection found that the children were not fully engaged in their indoor environment, however they were seen to be very engaged in their outdoor play.
“More work is required in relation to creating a more positive ethos across the team and service, to impact positively on outcomes for children. The head teacher and the local authority reassured us at the time of the inspection that they had identified the need for improvement and had begun to address areas of priority.”
The report also noted some staff did not engage with children in the correct manner.
It stated: “We observed several examples of staff engaging with children in a manner which we did not feel respected the children or positively engaged with them. We discussed at feedback the impact of this on children’s outcomes and the importance of all staff engaging with children in a respectful and caring manner.”
Overall, the report added, parents were happy with the service provided.
Of the 19 Care Standards Questionnaires completed by parents who use the service, 14 strongly agreed and five agreed they were happy with the overall care their child receives
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “We have clearly laid out in our inspection report the areas which require improvement at Law Nursery School, and we will continue to work closely with this nursery to support that improvement, and ensure it is sustained.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “The nursery school and the Children and Families Service will be taking forward the recommendations contained in the report.”