Bosses of a nursery where children were left to "jump from furniture and trip over toys" have said they have appealed the inadequate rating awarded to them by the education watchdog.

Padiham-based childcare provider Padiwacks was inspected by Ofsted in March, where it was found to be failing in all areas of the assessment.

Among other issues, inspectors found the safety of children within the nursery was compromised and commented on the "dangerous behaviours" witnessed while at the facility – which included children screaming, biting and pushing each other.

However, bosses at the Wyre Street nursery have hit back, saying they don’t feel the report offers a true reflection of their "hard working and committed" staff force.

They went on to say the report was misleading, prompting them to challenge the information which has been published about them.

A follow-up visit by Ofsted inspectors at the start of May revealed vast improvements to the service after a welfare requirements notice was served, though the overall rating will remain as it is until further inspection.

During the follow-up visit it was found Padiwacks had met safeguarding and welfare actions which arose during the March inspection, where a catalogue of issues were raised.

Among them, inspector Suzanne Fenwick found children were "not supported" to regulate their behaviour, nor in managing their conflict.

She wrote in her report: “Consequently, children become frustrated and display harmful behaviours.

"They repeatedly snatch and scream at each other as well as bite, hit and push each other.

“This puts other children at risk and hinders their learning. Children are not always adequately supervised, due to poor staff deployment.

“Younger children are, at times, left to feed themselves, as staff support other children.

"This can cause some children to become upset, as they cannot reach their food or drop their bowls on the floor.

“Staff do not always plan activities that capture the interests of children. Consequently, children get bored easily.

"That said, babies have lots of space to move around. They learn to crawl, pull themselves to stand and take their first few steps. This supports their physical development.”

The report noted leaders had put good measures in place to keep children safe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and policies were effective in helping to reduce the risk of infection and to promote good health.

Among other concerns, Ms Fenwick said staff did not always adequately support children’s communication and language development, leading to gaps in children’s speech development.

She also claimed children slipped on wet floors and tripped over toys which were left out.

Ms Fenwick said: “Furthermore, children frequently stand on chairs, and climb and sit on tables.

"Staff's lack of hazard awareness and ineffective management of behaviour puts children at risk of harm.

“Leaders do not effectively support children or parents to understand the potential risks when using technology to access the internet. Therefore, some children disclose viewing content not appropriate for their age.”

Positive notes were made about the education offered to children when it came to their own health, and Ms Fenwick acknowledged they spent time outdoors in the fresh air and had daily exercise.

She added: “They enjoy nutritious meals and snacks, such as a roast dinner and vegetable sticks.

“Children learn about some other cultures, faiths and beliefs. Therefore, children are beginning to learn about the world around them.”

A spokesperson for the nursery, which had previously been rated 'Good', said: “We were inspected during the pandemic on March 15 with Government restrictions, and key staff were absent with Covid-19 on the day of the inspection. 

“Our nursery has been unable to run as normal for two years prior to the inspection due to the pandemic.

"Ofsted have since returned to our setting and are pleased with our response. We are continuing to work with Lancashire County Council and we are still able to provide funded childcare. 

“The pandemic has proved to be very challenging throughout the childcare industry, including an adverse impact on children's behaviour and social skills and this has been noted nationwide which makes it questionable why we have been penalised. 

“We find the wording of the report to be misleading and we have challenged this throughout our appeal process. 

“The inspector made a number of assumptions during the inspection and was unwilling to look at evidence which we were happy to provide.   

“We don't feel the report offers a true reflection of all the hard work and commitment by our staff, whilst we have been open throughout the pandemic working in extremely challenging and difficult circumstances.”