A nursery manager says her staff will not be changing anything about the way they operate – despite receiving their worst-ever Ofsted rating.

Jacqueline Canaguy, who oversees Jumping Jacks Pre-school in Folkestone, believes the inspection carried out was unfair and potentially damaging to the facility’s future.

The site was double-downgraded, from “good” to “inadequate”, after officials found safeguarding issues “compromising children’s welfare” and teaching techniques sometimes lacking.

But Ms Canaguy argues there are no such problems. Despite the watchdog’s criticism following the October 23 visit, she argues no improvements at the nursery are necessary.

“We had a staff meeting not long after and discussed what we could do to improve, but all the staff agreed that we have good safeguarding policies and procedures that we always follow,” she said.

“Ofsted gave us no notice that they would be coming, and on the day we were just doing our holiday club which is just care, not educational. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Inspectors said that staff fail to report significant events to safeguarding partners, putting the children they care for at potential risk of harm.

“Ofsted gave us no notice that they would be coming... It just doesn’t seem fair.”

“Procedures are not adequately managed to ensure children are safe at all times,” inspectors wrote.

“And staff who take the lead for safeguarding children do not act quickly enough when they identify that a child may be at risk of harm.”

They also found fault with how nursery workers teach children to express themselves.

The report says: “Older children are encouraged to answer questions and develop a wider vocabulary. At times, however, staff do not fully extend children's learning and build on their language skills further.

“For example, on occasion they intervene too early, before allowing children the time to consider and express their own thoughts and ideas.”

Ms Canaguy says that on the day of the inspection there were only four children using the provider – most of whom were babies – compared to a variety of about 20 children on a normal day.

Because of this, she argues, the nursery was unable to properly showcase how it caters to youngsters of different age groups.

Regarding the question of safeguarding, Ms Canaguy said: “We had an incident in the nursery on the Monday before the inspection where a two-year-old had said something concerning.

“We were still gathering information about the situation and had planned to speak to the parents the following week.

“We told all this to the inspector and she said there was a potential risk there and that we should have done more, but I disagreed.”

Even though Ofsted gave the North Road site the worst possible rating, the agency did praise certain aspects of the nursery.

The watchdog approved of the centre’s curriculums and said that children’s behaviour was good.

“Arrangements for the learning and development of children are good,” added the inspection report, published on January 4.

“Children enter the nursery well and follow the routines that they are used to.

“They choose from a wide range of resources that appeal to their interests and children behave well as they become engaged in playful interactions with staff.”

Jumping Jacks – which is located next to Napier Barracks, used by the Home Office as accommodation for asylum seekers – will be re-inspected within the next four months.

Ofsted was contacted for comment.