A TEST Valley preschool has been slammed in a damning inspection after being rated as 'Inadequate'.

Education watchdog Ofsted raised a number of concerns over safeguarding after inspecting Hollytree Community Preschool in Fleming Avenue, North Baddesley.

But the school has been angered by the rating and says it has put in an official complaint about the way the inspection and rating were carried out.

The preschool has fallen from being 'Outstanding' which it was rated at in 2014.

In their most recent visit to the Preschool in December, inspectors discovered "significant weaknesses" in the leadership and management to the point where "children's welfare cannot be assured".

The report said: "Practitioners are not consistently vigilant about children's health needs and do not communicate effectively with parents and other professionals to ensure that these are met.

"The two leaders fail to ensure that all practitioners and volunteers have gone through robust recruitment procedures, such as references and inductions to determine their suitability to work with children. This fails to ensure children's safety."

The report added: "Leaders do not recognise the importance of monitoring children's attendance, particularly those considered to be vulnerable.

"The leaders do not provide staff with an induction to ensure they are clear on their safeguarding responsibilities when they first start.

"In addition, they do not monitor staff to determine whether support or training is needed to update their knowledge of child protection legislation."

The report also highlighted some practitioners did not have "confident knowledge of what to do should they have concerns about a child".

However, inspectors did rate the quality of education as well as behaviour and attitudes as good.

The report said: "The arrangements to promote children's learning, behaviour and social skills are strong and effective.

"Children are motivated to learn. They are happy in the pre-school and show they are eager to follow their morning routine of self-registration and dropping off their book bag and lunch."

Ofsted recommended the pre-school strengthen their recruitment systems to ensure the suitability of all staff and volunteers is thoroughly checked.

They added Hollytree Community Pre-School can improve by ensuring leaders, practitioners and volunteers have a thorough and up to date knowledge of their responsibility to safeguard children.

Hollytree Community Preschool issued a statement which said: "We have put in a complaint to Ofsted regarding the conduct and the outcome of the inspection. Nothing has changed at Hollytree since our last inspection, we have been continually striving to improve.”

“We have built a good reputation within the community, increased our numbers significantly and now have a waiting list. This outcome will have a devastating impact on us.

“We all feel very disheartened but parents have been extremely supportive. We all work incredibly hard and it is the thought of the amazing children that we have that will drive us to continue.”