A PRE-SCHOOL that was rated “inadequate” by the government’s education watchdog has made an official complaint against the judgement.

North Drive Pre-School in Grove claimed the Ofsted inspector who visited in March gave the rating because she thought there were outstanding complaints against the pre-school, which staff claimed had been cleared.

The county’s education authority Oxfordshire County Council has now said it will not fund any new pupils at the nursery - which shares a site with Grove CofE Primary School but is run by a separate organisation - until it addresses the concerns.

In her report, published April 2, inspector Natasha Crellin said the quality of teaching and management of behaviour were poor.

She said not all staff were confident in the procedures they should follow if they had child protection concerns, which, she said, compromised their ability to safeguard children’s welfare. She also said staff did not ensure noise levels were suitable for children to have conversation and “concentrate on their play”.

Overall she rated the school “inadequate”, and said it “did not meet legal requirements for early years settings”.

The one positive note she made in her summary was that staff supported children’s language development well, using a variety of techniques including sign language.

Manager Sarah Overson said Ms Crellin had been under the impression during the two-hour inspection that there were outstanding complaints against the preschool regarding safety, specifically a broken fence. But she said the inspector called back, two-and-a-half hours after she had left, to confirm the complaints were dealt with in November last year.

Mrs Overson, who has run North Drive for six years, said: “We welcome any criticism and guidance to improve our setting but the inspector seemed to come in with a pre-conceived idea of failing us.”

She said overall she thought the inspector’s findings were “factually inaccurate”.

Staff were trained in safeguarding, she said, and with regard to the noise level concerns she added: “At the end of the day you can’t keep children’s volume down.”

The pre-school submitted a formal complaint to Ofsted on Monday night asking to be re-graded or re-inspected.

Ofsted spokesman Ed Rowley said the preschool would be re-inspected in the next six months and if it has not improved it could be stripped of its registration as an early years provider.

He refused to confirm what complaints had been made about the preschool or whether Ms Crellin had been under the impression they were outstanding.

County spokesman Owen Morton said the council would help the preschool draw up a plan to make improvements but in the meantime would not provide funding for any new two-year-old starters at the nursery.

The council provided about £100,000 for places during 2014 and 2015.

The nursery, which has operated on the grounds of Grove CofE Primary School since 1969, has 57 children aged two, three and four on its roll.

It opens on weekday mornings and afternoons every day except Friday and has six members of staff.

The last time the school was inspected in 2010 it was rated “good”.