Leaders of Littleport Community Pre-School have hit back following a recent Ofsted inspection which found the group needs ‘improvement’.

Charlotte Peters, chairman of the pre-school committee, admitted everyone was feeling deflated after inspector Jacqueline Baker found the group ‘requires improvement’ in all areas following her visit in October.

However, she promised the team were already putting measures in place to put the pre-school, which was rated ‘good’ at the time of its last inspection in June 2011, back ‘on track’.

And she said they were confident they could do that within the year.

Mrs Peters said: “We all felt deflated and a disappointed, but the main issue was with management and paperwork. But Carol Cole, who has run it really well for 33 years is now retiring for personal reasons and Kelly Cox is taking over.

“Carol did lead the pre-school when it was rated ‘good’, but I think times have changed and more is expected of nurseries because of the huge amount of investment being put into them by the government these days.

“We have had a lot of support from parents who are happy with the pre-school and the progress their children are making. It is important for children to be happy, and pre-school is about building confidence, making friends and being with someone other than a parent or grandparent, and they get that at our pre-school.

“Obviously there were one or two parents who have jumped on the band wagon and moaned because of the report, but the majority have been very positive.

“We will work hard to ensure that by the time the inspectors come back, some time before next October, we will be on track and the next report will see us being scored as ‘good’.”