OFSTED is demanding a nursery near Tetbury, recently rated as ‘inadequate’, to take immediate action to ensure the safety and health of its children.

The Stable Nursery in Tetbury Upton was rated ‘inadequate’ in an Ofsted report published on Saturday, May 13, a month after the inspection.

The news comes shortly after Tetbury mayor Stephen Hirst in April expressed fears over the future of several pre-schools in and around the town.

The nursery, which works with 50 children and families and employs 15 staff, is also facing uncertainty as it is looking for new premises. It was informed earlier this year that the private estate where it is situated will be up for sale by the end of the year.

Inspector Julie Swann criticised the pre-school saying that staff did not ensure children were kept safe and failed to identify and minimise a number of “significant” hazards.

She said that some equipment and areas of the premises were not fit for purpose, pointing out that children accessed stagnant water outdoors and that some areas and equipment were dirty and broken.

She continued: “The manager and staff are not effectively monitored, coached and supervised to identify weaknesses in practice, and ensure the quality of teaching is raised to a good level.

“They do not identify any gaps in achievement or plan activities that support individual children's next steps in learning.”

The inspector said that children, though well behaved, were not well engaged nor motivated to learn.

She said: “The organisation of some daily routines is poor. Children have to sit at tables for prolonged periods. They become restless and opportunities for learning are lost.”

Ofsted will be taking enforcement action and by the end of this week the pre-school will have to show that children are safeguarded and that all areas of the premises and equipment are clean and well maintained.

By the end of next month, the nursery must also ensure that staff are provided with support, coaching and training, that there is a system to assess children’s learning, and that staff consider the needs of children “so learning is not disrupted and children spend less time waiting”, according to the Ofsted report.

The Stable Nursery did not wish to comment.