A NURSERY has been criticised for 'compromising' children's welfare and failing to provide good role models.

Bright Horizons Oxford Waterways Day Nursery and Preschool, in Summertown, has been rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted - the regulator's worst possible standard.

A concerning new report claims children's welfare is 'significantly compromised' at the nursery in Clearwater Place, which had 125 children on roll during the visit.

The inspector's write-up revealed: "Not all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of what signs might indicate safeguarding concerns, to keep children safe.

"Staff safeguarding knowledge is variable...[they] fail to use what they have learned on recent training."

The report did note that staff 'supervise children closely' and the setting is 'safe and secure,' but added that leaders 'fail to monitor practice effectively and do not provide adequate training, coaching or support.'

Although staff were described as 'kind' people who develop 'strong, nurturing relationships' with children, Ofsted said they were 'not good role models to children.'

The report, published on Friday, raised particular issue with poor teaching.

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It said: "Children make insufficient progress in learning due to weak teaching methods and poor planning.

"Children are not well prepared for their future learning and do not find out that learning can be enjoyable and exciting.

"The poor quality of teaching results in gaps in key skills that older children need for a successful move to school."

The inspector said children became 'quickly bored and disengaged' during one activity and this lack of stimulation led to 'attention-seeking' and 'disruptive' behaviour.

Ofsted's report added: "During a poorly planned letters and sounds session, pre-school children are seen lying on the carpet, picking up toys and books, and then quickly discarding them.

"Quieter children are frequently ignored and left to their own solitary play, or seek out visitors to play with them."

Despite the concerns highlighted, the inspector said parents 'speak positively about the nursery' and receive regular updates about their child's progress.

The nursery was rated 'inadequate' in all four areas of assessment, following the inspection in April.

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It previously held a 'good' rating, after Ofsted's last visit in October 2015, but had also been rated 'inadequate' earlier that year and 'requires improvement' the previous year.

Bright Horizons is one of the country's largest nursery chains and runs about a dozen branches in Oxfordshire, and the vast majority are rated 'good.'

A spokesperson for the group said: "We were disappointed with the inspection judgement, having recently received positive feedback from the local authority [council] during their visit.

"We know that parents place huge trust in our nursery team and we are always seeking to enhance the care and education we provide.

"We have reflected on the feedback from Ofsted and have incorporated it into the nursery’s development plan.

"We continue to also provide additional support to the nursery from our highly qualified early years specialists."