The team at the nursery “do not agree with the inspector’s judgement”, a spokesperson said
A nursery in Cambridgeshire will challenge Ofsted after the regulator rated it as ‘needs attention’ in several areas. Lilliput Day Nursery in Peterborough, has been told it needs to improve in four areas.
A spokesperson for the nursery said they “do not believe [the Ofsted report] accurately reflects the quality of practice observed during the inspection”.
The areas that ‘needs attention’, according to Ofsted, include achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion and leadership and governance.
The report, which was published on Friday, June 19, said that staff implementation of the curriculum is “not yet consistent”. It said this means “children do not always receive the right opportunities to develop their skills in preparation for their next stage in learning”.
The Lincoln Road nursery offers full time and part time places for children aged up to five years old. The nursery received an overall grade of ‘requires improvement’ in its previous inspection in 2025.
The team at the nursery said they are disappointed with the report and plan to challenge the findings. A spokesperson said they believe they have “identified a number of factual inaccuracies within the report”.
The report added: “Additionally, staff do not always correctly identify the barriers children face to their learning. For example, where children lack speech and language skills, staff do not always address the underlying cause, such as children’s confidence.”
Safeguarding standards were met. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, and children’s welfare and wellbeing were graded at ‘expected standard’.
The report also recognised that “children appear happy at the setting” and “demonstrate strong relationships with staff”. It added: “Children develop relationships with staff and look to them for comfort when they are feeling tired.
“This is particularly important for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities who look for reassurance. They cuddle up with staff, helping them to feel safe in their environment.”
The report found that children who speak English as an additional language are “not always supported well-enough to learn new words effectively”. In an example, inspectors said “they do not always hear clear, basic English and develop their understanding and English vocabulary”.
However, teaching of mathematics is “effective” and staff use “every opportunity to incorporate mathematical language”. The inspection determined that leaders are aware of “inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum, but the action taken is not yet enough to support staff effectively”.
Ofsted praised the staff for prioritising personal, social, emotional, and physical development. According to the report, staff support social interactions and turn taking skills throughout learning opportunities.
A spokesperson for Lilliput Day Nursery said: “Whilst we are extremely disappointed with this outcome, we do not agree with the inspector’s judgement. We have identified a number of factual inaccuracies within the report and do not believe it accurately reflects the quality of practice observed during the inspection. We are therefore challenging these findings.”
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