A NURSERY in Minehead has been given an ‘inadequate’ rating by Ofsted inspectors after a child walked off the premises.

Cheeky Cherubs, based at Alcombe Children’s Centre, said it would be appealing the decision.

Elaine Douglas, inspector, said management failed to carry out sufficiently robust risk assessments to keep children from leaving the premises unsupervised while workmen were present, that staff do not have a thorough enough knowledge of the risk assessments to ensure sufficient ratios keep children safe while using the garden and that staff are not sufficiently vigilant in managing children’s movements between the indoor and outside environments to keep them safe at all times.

But nursery owner Jo Buck told the County Gazette: “The incident was an isolated one and involved a child who left the nursery premises whilst a workman was removing his tools.

“At no time was the child out of sight of an adult and proper procedures were followed.

“Cheeky Cherubs are currently appealing the decision and the process is ongoing due to many factual inaccuracies in the report. Parents have been kept fully informed, and staff continue to provide high quality child care provision.”

In her report, Ms Douglas said that sufficient thought was not given to the risks to children when a workman was using the garden site and that as there was only one member of staff in the babies’ garden, while she could see them, she was unable to prevent one from leaving the premises.

“These weaknesses put a child at risk, precautions to prevent a reoccurrence of such an event are inadequate,” she said.

“The inspection found that although the child had been seen to leave by a member of staff it was a member of the children centre staff who brought the child back, not nursery staff.”

She added that the manager failed to investigate the incident thoroughly but did hold a meeting with staff and put some measures in place to secure the premises including a sign on the gate for it to be kept closed and the automatic door locked to prevent children exiting through the children’s centre.

“This inspection highlights insufficient consideration to the seriousness of the incident. “Risks of other exit routes have not been assessed.”

The nursery was praised for its safeguard training, its skills in enabling children to initiate their own learning and how well the staff know the children and promote learning.

A number of improvements to be made were also outlined in the report including ensuring that risk assessments were regularly reviewed.