Little Owls Osmondthorpe: Ofsted slams Leeds council nursery for muddled approach causing 'emotional distress'

Ofsted inspectors visiting Little Owls Nursery Osmondthorpe last month, one of 24 operated by city council, criticised the nursery over its “variable” quality of education and “incoherent curriculum,” as it was downgraded from Good to a Requires Improvement inspection grade.

The report said: “When key staff are absent or deployed in another area of the nursery, some children are not supported by other staff. Children with special educational needs and/disabilities (SEND) have clear plans in place to support their development. However, some staff do not implement these, and, on occasion, this leads to emotional distress.

“Although curriculum plans are clear, they do not match children's individual learning needs. This means that staff do not consistently build on children's prior learning and some activities are not purposeful.”

Staff who work with their “key children” are praised for knowing them very well with “children benefitting from meaningful activities that help them to make good progress.” Inspectors note that leaders and management have “a clear action plan in progress” however, “this is not focused on helping staff to meet the needs of the children who currently attend.”

Inspectors further praised staff for their kindness and being “positive role models” but criticised the nursery’s manager for not consistently focusing staff's training to “help them meet children's specific needs,” which can “prevent learning from taking place.”

Adding: “The curriculum is not coherent or suitably matched to children's current stage of development and learning needs. At times, older children's learning is incidental and they wander between activities. This does not help children to make consistently good progress or become enthusiastic learners.”

A council spokesperson said: “Leeds City Council runs 24 Little Owls nurseries across the city. Of these, nine Little Owls nurseries are currently rated as outstanding by Ofsted, and 14 are rated as good. Therefore, the recent rating following the Ofsted inspection of Little Owls Osmondthorpe is disappointing.

"However, we have already established a robust action plan to ensure we respond to Ofsted recommendations and all areas of development are addressed. Leeds City Council continues to be committed to offering children living in communities which experience greatest deprivation access to high quality early years provision.”