Staff working at a Suffolk nursery have expressed their disappointment after Ofsted said it ‘required improvement’ at a recent inspection.

Hollesley Community Nursery, which opened its doors in September 2017, was visited by the education watchdog in January of this year.

The facility is run by Alpha Community Nurseries, and bosses said they felt "very disappointed", adding that the 'requires improvement' rating was not a "true reflection" of the day-to-day running of the nursery.

Teaching 'not good enough'

Inspectors said that although teachers knew children well, a lack of "purposeful play" had led to children displaying a "poor attitude to learning" and "unwanted behaviour".

Children did not have enough opportunities to make the most of learning outdoors, they added, and the quality of teaching was found to be "not good enough".

Activities were not planned well enough and children often spent a long time unoccupied, which led to them becoming disinterested.

However, inspectors said children enjoy their time at the nursery, and youngsters who do not separate easily from their main carer are supported sensitively, by caring staff.

"There is a consistent named person for each child to take responsibility for their daily well-being," Ofsted inspectors wrote in their report.

"They build friendly and trusting relationships with children and parents."

They also found that although there were "weaknesses in the quality of education", the staff showed they could improve.

There is a strong relationship with the nearby Hollesley Community Primary School, also in School Lane, inspectors said - with children well-prepared to move in to reception class.

'Not a true reflection of day-to-day running'

Bosses at the nursery said: "We are of course very disappointed with the outcome of the inspection.

"This is not a true refection of the day-to-day running of the setting and the hard work that the staff put in to looking after the children and building good relationships with them.

"The nursery is based in a small community who have been very supportive of the nursery manager and the staff since the publication of the report.

"Although there are some negatives in the report, it also holds very good points such as how the children are happy and settled and how staff encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning.

They added: "Although we do not feel the report gives a well rounded view of the setting we will of course take on board the feedback and will act upon the two actions that have been raised and these will be addressed quickly and efficiently."

Those in charge also said they aim to be open and honest with parents and the community, inviting anyone with questions or comments to make contact with the nursery.