A PRESCHOOL has received a damning Ofsted report and seen its rating drop from outstanding to inadequate.

A report at Mulberry Preschool in Chandler's Ford found that children's welfare "cannot be guaranteed" and criticised the breadth of training given to staff.

After findings from the latest Ofsted inspection were revealed on February 12, the school was rated as inadequate by the education watchdogs.

This comes after the school’s previous inspection in 2016, which saw them rated outstanding, meaning they dropped from the best category of education to the worst between just one inspection.

In the recent report, inspectors said: “Children’s welfare cannot be assured, as several requirements relating to safeguarding have not been met.

"Staff have not been given training on wider safeguarding issues and as a result, their knowledge on these issues is poor. The manager is unable to demonstrate that they have been robust in checking the suitability of all staff but the manager has however completed Disclosure and Barring Service checks for all staff.

“Children’s behaviour is variable. Staff do not intervene well enough in order to guide the children effectively and nurture their understanding of behaviour expectations.

It also said that the arrangements for safeguarding at the premises were not effective.

Located at Valley Park Community Centre, Pilgrims Close, the school currently offers care to 32 children, aged between two and four.

The report shows that Mulberry Preschool requires improvement for the quality of education, and behaviour and attitudes sections, and was deemed to be inadequate for the leadership and management, and personal development sections.

A preschool spokesperson said: “Understandably, we are disappointed with the outcome of the Ofsted inspection.

"While we acknowledge that there are some areas for improvement, we would like to assure parents, carers and the local community that we continually strive to comply with current best practice in early year’s education.

“An action plan was already in place to address those areas that we know we must strengthen and we will expand that to include any that have been identified additionally, by the Inspector.

“This is not something we have taken lightly.

"We have prided ourselves on our previous outstanding reports in 2011 and 2016 and are working hard to turn this outcome around to be back to good or outstanding, when we are inspected again later in the year.”