A social enterprise nursery in Bristol now requires improvement following an Ofsted inspection in September. The Raised in Bristol nursery, at Felix Road Adventure Playground in Easton, was previously rated as ‘Good’ but now has been given a ‘Requires improvement’ rating across the board.
The nursery, one of four which is run by the Raised in Bristol group, has 62 places for children ages between one and four years old. Whilst Ofsted did praise staff for their warmth and children’s behaviour, the overall standard at the nursery was below what is expected.
The nursery was not given a ‘Requires improvement’ judgement officially due to changes in the way Ofsted reports on a school, however schools are still given judgements in each of the categories (quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management). In the inspection dated September 18, Raised in Bristol received a ‘Requires improvement’ grade in every category.
The report said: “Children are happy as they arrive, they see familiar staff and greet them warmly. Staff welcome children with smiles and they ask them about their journey to nursery or what they would like to play with. Key persons support children and their families as they settle into nursery.
“Although the curriculum focuses on children’s communication and self-help skills, the provider has not ensured that all staff deliver this as well as they can to help children achieve to the best of their abilities, particularly in their communication and language development. Staff provide activities that follow children’s current interests and likes, which helps children to enjoy many of the activities on offer. However, at times, children lack the challenge they need from staff.
“The quality of interactions between staff and children is not always of a high quality. Staff do not always deploy themselves well throughout the day to meet all the children’s learning needs.”
Inspectors did note that the behaviour of children at the provision is good. Older children know the routines at the nursery and complete hygiene standards prior to snack and meal times with minimal prompting from staff.
The teaching quality is not being monitored as well as it could so staff do not get the support, coaching and training which they need to ensure learning experiences are “always good”, despite staff having professional development and training opportunities. As a result, the curriculum does not provide a challenge for every child.
The report added: “For example, during a reading activity, some staff do not engage or interact with children in the stories they chose to ignite their curiosity and language. As a result, children disengage and become restless, which impacts on them developing a positive attitude towards learning.”
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Children at Raised in Bristol are sociable. Young babies “babble and giggle at each other as they crawl around” and older children play together for much of the day. However, limited interaction from staff means that children do not hear a wide range of words, which does not support communication development.
In 2023, a complaint was raised with Ofsted about the “potential suitability of a member of staff” which was dealt with in line with the legal responsibilities of the provider. However, the report said: “While a recent allegation [which was not the 2023 incident] was dealt with in line with the provider’s local safeguarding procedures, the provider did not ensure that this was notified to Ofsted. This is a breach of requirements.”
Staff know their key children and talk about their learning journeys but the provider does not always deploy staff to meet all children’s learning needs, meaning staff are sometimes not aware when children are upset. But staff were praised for planning many opportunities to help promote independence and self-help skills in preparation for children’s eventual move to primary school.
The report said: “Staff provide children with plenty of opportunities to develop their large physical movements. Parents are complimentary about the nursery, they say that they feel that staff are kind and supportive to them and their children.
“Parents appreciate the daily information they receive about their children’s day. They receive photos and get updates about their children’s progress. Parents feel that children are safe and well looked after.”
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