Staffing issues and a lack of vision over the curriculum are just some of the reasons an Ofsted inspector has said a nursery in Oldham ‘requires improvement’.

Oberlin Street Nursery on Greenacres Road has been instructed to improve on key areas ahead of the next inspection by the education watchdog.

Inspector Luke Heaney recognised that the nursery has “been through some turbulent times” when it comes to maintaining strong leadership and staff, however, he noted that there are issues over its delivery and standard of education.

The report, published this week, revealed some activities offered to the children are falling short of their interests and the expectation of their age group for learning.

The inspector noted that the curriculum in the early years setting is “in its infancy” and that the vision as to what the children ought to be learning is not understood by all staff members.

Mr Heaney said that this issue leaves some of the youngsters at a disadvantage and that “the quality of education across the room varies”.

But staffing has also been an “ongoing issue” at the nursery, which only registered in 2020.

Oberlin Street Nursery has eight members of childcare staff, all of whom have the appropriate early years qualifications at level two and above to teach two, three and four-year-old children.

However, leaders at the nursery “do not always deploy staff effectively to meet the needs of all children” with some staff unsure or distracted by other tasks.

Mr Heaney added: “This has a negative impact for some children as quality interactions do not always take place and some children’s behaviour begins to deteriorate”.

To improve ahead of the next inspection and aim for a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating, the nursery has been directed to strengthen its line of communication with parents to facilitate learning at home.

The nursery must also provide staff with detailed feedback about their interactions with the children.

But it was not all bad news for the nursery as Mr Heaney said children are generally “happy, content and safe in this welcoming nursery” while parents commend its leaders.

The new manager at Oberlin Street Nursery was mentioned positively for having high aspirations for the setting and the leaders have high ambitions with a clear vision as to how the nursery can improve moving forward.

The children are adequately taught the best care and hygiene practices while positive behaviours and attitudes are enforced.

One particular highlight in the report revealed staff actively “instil a love of reading” in the children.

It also strongly accommodates children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as children who speak English as an additional language.

Mr Heaney wrote that additional funding allocated to the nursery is well spent as children have gained access to opportunities such as field trips and outings to places that they would not normally have.

There were no concerns regarding safeguarding in the report, either.

Responding to the Ofsted inspection, a spokesperson for Oberlin Street Nursery said: “Our priority is to create and provide a safe and nurturing environment in which the children we are trusted to care for can thrive.

“We worked closely with Ofsted during the inspection and were greatly encouraged by the many positive aspects highlighted in their report that affirms the approach that we have for the nursery. 

“As noted in Ofsted’s final report, “Leaders have a clear vision of improvement for the nursery and strive for the ‘very best’” and we wholly support this view, and our nursery team works hard every day to deliver the improvements needed to provide our children with the best possible care.”