A Swindon nursery has been told it requires improvement in every measure including hygiene in an Ofsted inspection.

The inspector reported seeing teachers at Shine Bright Nursery and Pre-School of Athena House, Welton Road not washing their hands after changing nappies.

But the owner says that the inspector had an ‘agenda’ against the nursery, and has responded to the complaints.

Angela Jesson, owner and manager, said: “There was an agenda to mark us down, I feel. from the inspector.”

The agenda was due to an anonymous complaint made to Ofsted about the school prior to the inspection.

Management did not reveal details about the complaints, but said ‘the allegation made was nothing to do with the safeguarding or safety of our children’.

They said it was ‘low-level and ‘petty’ and Oftsed ‘did not find anything in the complaint’ and it was ‘proven that there was nothing in it’.

About specific areas of improvement, the Ofsted report said: “Staff do not always hygienically clean changing areas or ensure their hands are clean after changing nappies.

About mealtimes, it says: “Some are unable to reach their cutlery and eat with their hands as a result.”

Shine Bright Nursery has a food hygiene rating of four, with hygienic food handling being ‘generally satisfactory’, while other measures were ‘good’.

It said the school must ‘promote children's good health and hygiene consistently, with particular regard to children's personal care and mealtimes, to help prevent the spread of infection and illness’.

Angela said that this was an apprentice who used hand gel after nappy-changing, rather than soap and water but said they have now taken this feedback on board.

“The children’s hands are always washed. I have worked with children over 20 years - eating with their hands is something they occasionally do," she said.

The report did say that children have healthy and balanced meals provided by the nursery and children sit to eat.

The 320-child early years provider registered with Oftsed in 2022, and the March 6 inspection was its first inspection under its current name.

Previously they were called Shaw Village Preschool and rated ‘outstanding’. Angela says they specialise in supporting children’s mental health.

She said: “The level of support from the parents has been phenomenal for us at the nursery. They know we know the children really well and we do a really good job.

“We know that through how happy the children are and the outcomes from when they leave us.”