A SOUTHEND nursery has been given the lowest possible Ofsted rating for the second time in six months.

Little Legs Nursery was rated “inadequate” by the national watchdog for education following an inspection last month - the nursery has lodged an official complaint against Oftsed following the publication of the report.

In a report published on Tuesday, the nursery was deemed to be unsafe, unclean and unengaging.

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“Children are not kept safe,” the report written by Ofsted inspector Daniella Adams concluded.

“The provider, manager and staff do not take action to reduce or minimise risks to children's safety,” Ms Adams continued.

One example raised in the report was a large, wooden mirror in the pre-school room that was unstable and not secured to the wall – a potential hazard to fall on children.

Ms Adams added: “The provider and manager have identified the mirror in the pre-school room as a risk. However, they have not taken action to make it safe."

The Rochford Road nursery had been rated “inadequate” as recently as October – and has now been issued a welfare requirements notice directing the nursery to make drastic improvements or face sanctions.

The learning environment for pre-school children and toddlers was described as “not adequately stimulating or engaging”.

The service reportedly suffered from a “lack of resources to support children's interests”.

In the garden, there are only two spatulas and a few other toys, such as a plastic toy cement mixer and truck, which leads to children squabbling.

The small toddler room was found to be “cluttered” which impacted children's ability to move freely.

As a result, “children do not experience an engaging learning environment,” the report stated.

A nusery spokesman said: “We are extremely disappointed to have received an Inadequate rating.

“While we have taken immediate steps to address the concerns raised by the inspector, we remain confident that the provision of care and education at our setting is excellent, and we are very proud of the level of care, skill, love, and dedication our staff show to the children on a daily basis."

“We are incredibly grateful to our families for their understanding and support, and look forward to showcasing the high quality of our nursery at our re-inspection.”