Watchdog slams Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Chadwell Heath over safety concerns

A nursery in Chadwell Heath was found to have sharp edges on concrete columns that could put babies at risk.

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Chadwell Heath was told it “requires improvement” after Ofsted inspectors found an inconsistent approach to safety.

The childcare centre in Freshwater Road was also slammed for a lack of privacy for tots.

Staff changed toddlers’ nappies in an area of the room where children “do not receive sufficient privacy during intimate care”, the February visit recorded.

However, the provider acted “promptly” when these issues were pointed out.

The report also notes that at times children have “few opportunities” to develop their early writing skills further and staff do not fully nurture children’s mathematical skills.

Nonetheless, the inspection did note that the overall quality of teaching, learning and assessment was “good”, as well as the outcomes for children.

Staff also developed good relationships with children and parents, while the 58 children develop a “healthy interest” in books.

Recruitment and vetting procedures were also said to be efficient, with “only suitable people work[ing] with children”.

A spokeswoman for the nursery said they were appealing the findings of the report and were unable to comment further at this time.