Islington nursery where babies ‘cried themselves to sleep’ sees Ofsted rating upgraded to ‘Good’

The summary of the nursery’s latest Ofsted inspection

An Islington nursery where last year Ofsted inspectors found babies “crying themselves to sleep” and “eating large chunks of fruit” has had its rating upgraded from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Good’.

Inspectors for the education watchdog signed off the new rating after revisiting Maggie and Rose nursery in Islington Square in April.

The nursery looks after infants from the ages of nine months to five years.

Last November, the inspector was worried that babies were put to sleep on their tummies and given “large chunks of fruit” that could be a health hazard and called for urgent training.

Since then, Maggie and Rose said it has “comprehensively adapted our environment to ensure all hazards are visible” and reviewed risk assessments and policies, including feeding, choking, sleeping and general play.

On their new visit, inspectors said the children were “happy and settled at the nursery”.

They said safeguarding was effective and gave the nursery a ‘Good’ rating overall.

Their report said: “Leaders and staff are knowledgeable about child protection and safeguarding issues.”

They noted that since their last visit, staff in the baby room have finished their training in caring for very young children and put it into practice effectively.

“Staff support babies to access resources independently, sit together for snacks and mealtimes, and settle when it is time to sleep,” the report continued. “This helps to maintain a calm environment where babies feel safe and secure.”

However, they found that some staff are “not sure what professional development they need to undertake next”.

The nursery works with parents and other agencies to get extra support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspectors praised children’s behaviour and noted they “share toys with their friends and play well together”, and “walk carefully in the nursery, and safely navigate stairs and corridors”.

The inspectors said staff also have high expectations for children and plan interesting activities to boost their learning.

They observed that “staff speak to children calmly and gently” and children are confident and eager to help.

Parents reported that they were happy with the nursery, where childcare costs £490 a week for under-threes and £460 for older children.