A NURSERY has been given a damning Ofsted rating for, among other things, not blocking access to strangers.
The Wise Owls Nursery, at Warlingham Rugby Club off Limpsfield Road, was given an "inadequate" rating following an inspection last month.
Fewer than one in every 14 nurseries in the country receive this grade, which is the lowest issued by Ofsted.
The inspection concluded the nursery "does not maintain the premises securely to prevent unauthorised access by adults who had not been vetted".
But the nursery's operators insist this refers to an isolated incident – and the premises has since been made thoroughly secure.
The "inadequate" rating means the nursery requires "significant improvement", with regular monitoring and a further inspection due this summer.
Overall, Ofsted inspectors concluded that:
The premises were not kept secure to protect children from unauthorised people entering the nursery.
Staff lacked understanding about safeguarding.
Supervision of employees was weak, so under-performance was not being tackled.
During creative art and design activities employees over-directed children, hindering their self-expression.
On the plus side the inspection team praised the positive partnerships nursery staff form with parents.
Mary Marsden, the nursery's manager, said she was "devastated" by the findings.
She added: "I'm not very happy.
"Building work was going on while Ofsted were here. A workman was gaining access by a side entrance to use the toilet."
Immediately after the inspection, she said, three locks were installed to ensure access was limited to staff members.
The 27-child nursery has been at the rugby club since 2006.
She said parents there "could not believe" Ofsted's negative findings.
Staff will attend safeguarding courses, she added.
Figures compiled by Ofsted show that a mere 7 per cent of early years providers were awarded the lowest grade in the 12 months up to August 2013.
But this was still a significant rise on the 3 per cent level recorded during the previous 12 months.
