A NURSERY which Somerset County Council closed for a week following a damning Ofsted report is due to re-open tomorrow.

The authority said it had shut the nursery at Highbridge Children’s Centre, in Coronation Road, “in the best interests of children”, adding their safety was “of paramount importance”.

In a report published this month, Ofsted gave the nursery – which is a separate service to the rest of the children’s centre at the site – the lowest possible “inadequate” rating in each of the areas assessed.

This included:

  • How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend
  • The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
  • And the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision.

Just two years ago, the nursery received the best possible rating of “outstanding” from Ofsted following an inspection.

The county council issued this statement last week: “We apologise to everyone affected by the closure but the children’s safety is of paramount importance.

“The county council has been monitoring the situation closely since the recent Ofsted inspection and it was felt it would not be in the best interests of the children to attend the nursery this week.

“Urgent action needed to be taken and we are doing everything we can to improve the situation.

“We have drafted in a highly-experienced early years specialist to work with the leadership team in the nursery to carry out some rigorous staff training.

“Anyone with concerns is encouraged to contact Somerset Direct on 0845-3459122.”