Cambridge nursery shut after potties not emptied and windows licked

The nursery closed on 11 October

A nursery was shut after potties were not emptied and children wandered aimlessly around, an Ofsted report said.

The Cambridge Day Nursery in Milton Road, was rated "Inadequate" in all areas after an inspection on October 10.

It followed an initial assessment on 12 September when Ofsted said the setting had not met some of its requirements.

A nursery spokesperson said it was working hard to address concerns.

In a report, inspectors said staff did not notice when children drank water from an outdoor water tray.

It added: "The cleanliness of the nursery is poor. Potties are not emptied, and toilets are not flushed after use.

"Staff do not supervise children to check that they wash their hands after using the toilet. Children placed their faces on and licked dirty windows."

The environment was described as "chaotic" and children "often wandered aimlessly or engaged in games of chase because there was no purposeful or meaningful activity".

'I pulled my son out'

Inspectors said children's safety could not be assured and there were "significant weaknesses in the leadership and management of the nursery" as well as "weak" recruitment and induction.

A parent who had a child at the nursery told the BBC she was "appalled by the report" and said it was stressful to to find alternative provision at "short notice".

A second parent claimed she had noticed hygiene breaches first hand, while a third claimed she had pulled her son out of the nursery as "steadily declined."

A nursery spokesperson said it had been caring for children for over 45 years and safety and wellbeing was its "highest priority".

"We have all been extremely shocked and disappointed by the findings of our recent Ofsted report," they said.

"We acknowledged the details of the report by Ofsted immediately and have, with the full support of Cambridge County Council Early Years and Childcare Service, been working extremely hard during our temporary suspension with a full programme of extensive training and assessment for all our staff as well as maintenance across all areas of concern.

"We would like to apologise to all our parents and guardians who have been affected, upset and inconvenienced by our temporary closure as well as thanking them for the numerous messages of help and support."

They added that it hoped to "welcome everyone back soon with our nursery now under a new management team".