Two nurseries have been told to improve by Ofsted inspectors after both were criticised for not doing enough to challenge children.

Church Row Nursery, which is in the crypt of Hampstead Parish Church, Church Row, Hampstead, was rated as “requiring improvement” last week following a visit in January.

Nursery staff were told to let children play outside more often and to try to extend children’s vocabularies by asking open-ended questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer.

Kentish Town nursery Kidz Zone in Dowdney Close was upgraded to “requires improvement” from “inadequate” – the lowest possible rating – in its Ofsted report last week.

Inspectors said staff need to develop children’s mathematical skills and to display work so that they can see it because their creations are currently put up on the walls, well out of their sight.