POOR teaching, ineffective leadership and a risk to children’s safety are just some of the damning judgements made on Raindrops Nursery in its latest Ofsted report.

The education watchdog rated the Cheney Manor nursery inadequate in the report published yesterday, after inspectors found provision for children to the age of four failed to meet some basic requirements of the Childcare Register.

But the owner of the nursery promised improvements would be made.

The report said: “The inspection took place following concerns about the current management arrangements, the suitability of staff, how staff meet children’s specific needs and how risk is managed in the nursery in respect to evacuation procedures.

“While the owner had become more aware of her management role in the nursery, having recently taken sole ownership of the nursery, a number of key issues that affect the safety and well-being of children were in urgent need of being addressed.

“The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate because staff do not have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of how children learn effectively.

“Staff compromise children’s safety because risk assessments do not always identify potential hazards in the environment. The owner has a weak understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children by implementing robust recruitment procedures.”

But Lynn Mayneord, owner of Raindrops, has reassured parents that steps have been taken to make the improvements demanded by the report.

She said: “Having recently taken on sole directorship of Raindrops this has brought with it additional responsibilities which were previously under the control of the outgoing director.

“A new nursery manager has been recruited following the departure of the outgoing director, who was nursery manager, and she is now in place. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience and has an Early Years Professional status. This sets the nursery in good standing to make the appropriate changes required along with the hard work and dedication of the committed staff.

“We are working hard to bring about the required changes, many of which are already in place, to ensure that we are meeting the shortcomings identified in the report.

“I would personally like to assure parents that I am committed as the director to turn the nursery around within the given timescale. Both I and the nursery manager have an open-door policy and any parent can come and talk to us about any concerns they have.”

Ofsted gave the nursery an extensive list of improvements to make before re-inspection in six months.

These include ensuring the premises are fit for purpose, implementing an emergency evacuation procedure, rigorous vetting for staff and ensuring employees have an adequate knowledge of child development.