New Bromley nursery ‘falling short’ of safety standards, say inspectors

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Service

A South London nursery has been given the worst possible rating by Ofsted, after inspectors found electronics and air conditioning units “in reach” of children.

Pink Elephants Nursery in Elmstead Lane, Chislehurst, Bromley, was labelled “inadequate” following an inspection last August, with inspectors criticising the lack of personal development and management of the nursery in particular.

Inspectors said, in the report published last week, that the nursery had failed to make sure children were kept “safe from harm”.

It said electronic devices and air conditioning units were kept on the floor, and that staff didn’t know where safety equipment was in the case of a fire. The safety equipment was also not checked regularly to see if it was up to scratch.

The report said safety for children was also “compromised” by leaders not checking if staff were suitable for working at the nursery, including not checking the criminal records of employees.

The nursery also didn’t report to Ofsted when emergency services were called or when children went to hospital, as is required by the group.

Education for children was impacted by the “poorly designed curriculum” of the nursery, and it was found that outdoor activities did not “focus on learning”.

The spread of sickness was also of concern, as the report said some areas of the nursery were “dirty and untidy” and that staff and children shared a single towel for drying their hands.

Despite criticisms, the report praised the nursery for how staff interact with children. Babies “enthusiastically wiggle and jiggle” when singing songs. Overall, the staff served as “good role models” for the children, it found.

This is the first inspection for Pink Elephants Nursery after opening in 2020. The report said that there are 16 staff employed, and the number of children aged up to four on the roll is currently 119.

The nursery has another branch in Maidstone, Kent, that opened in 2019, and received a “good” rating from Oftsed after an inspection last year.

A spokesperson for Pink Elephants Nursery in Chislehurst said: “We are very saddened and upset by our latest Ofsted report. We have actioned all points and are working very hard becoming the outstanding nursery our children deserve.”

Pictured top: Chislehurst Sports and Country Club on Elmstead Lane, where Pink Elephants Nursery in Chislehurst is located. (Picture: LDRS)