A NURSERY has been told it is breaching legal requirements in a report by Ofsted.

Shirley Street Day Nursery in Hove, pictured right, was rated outstanding, the highest grade possible, by an inspector in 2013.

But an inspection in February reduced the grade to “requires improvement” and found staff were not ensuring attendance hours were being recorded.

The inspector said this was “a breach to the legal requirements”.

They also found staff were not supporting children’s learning and failed to identify hazards in the outdoor area.

The report on the nursery in Shirley Street, dated February 13, said: “Staff record the children’s attendance but do not ensure that children’s actual hours are recorded, which is a breach to the legal requirements. Staff do not always support children’s learning well enough.

“They do not provide suitable challenges to help children move forward in their learning, particularly the most able children.

“Staff are not always fully aware of children’s current skills and interests in order to ensure all children make the best possible progress.”

The “requires improvement” rating is one grade above the lowest, which is “inadequate”.

The inspection found the quality of teaching was inconsistent and it “needs to explore ways to further involve parents about the progress children make”.

However the report praised the staff’s ability to form close bonds with children, which allows them to settle quickly.

It also said they helped children build friendships and effectively promote strong emotional and social development and a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

The report said: “All children have opportunities to feel valued and learn about the world around them.

“Safeguarding is effective [as] staff have completed safeguarding training and are aware of the procedures to follow if a child is at risk of harm.”

Following the inspection, the nursery has been given recommendations to improve.

It must improve staff’s ability to identify all hazards and minimise the risks they pose to children.

It must develop staff supervision and monitoring of practices to enhance staff skills and to raise the quality of teaching and improve children’s results further.

Staff must keep accurate daily record of the names of children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance.

It suggested that the nursery continues to develop ways to engage parents in sharing information about their children’s progress.