NURSERY management at Sure Start Pinehurst and Penhill was exposed as inadequate by Ofsted after inspectors were called in to investigate an unreported injury to a child.

In a report published yesterday by the education watchdog, Bright Start Day Nursery, which operates under the Sure Start banner, was ruled as inadequate in two of three areas.

The main focus of the report was on the management’s failure to ensure Ofsted was informed of a child trapping their fingers in a door within the required 14 days.

The management was also criticised for its failure to ensure staff follow risk assessment procedures, which resulted in the child’s injury.

Inspector Aileen Finan wrote: “The inspection was brought forward following information received about an accident to a child that occurred at the nursery.

“Staff are required to complete daily checks on the environment. However, an accident occurred because these checks were not robust and staff did not follow the risk assessment procedures appropriately.

“This poor practice placed children’s safety and well-being at risk and resulted in an injury to a child.”

The nursery was inspected last December, and the inspection before that, in September 2010, rated provision there as good.

The child’s injury expedited an inspection which exposed wide-ranging flaws in the nursery, which will now undergo a follow-up inspection before June.

Elsewhere in the report, Ms Finan wrote: “Staff lack confidence in how to extend the learning opportunities during group times to provide a more purposeful learning experience for children.”

The nursery is run with support from Swindon Council and has 50 children on its roll. The nursery is also in receipt of funding for two, three and four-year-old children.

A Swindon Council spokesman said: “The Ofsted inspection came as a result of an unfortunate accident where a child had trapped their fingers in a door.

“The nursery takes health and safety extremely seriously and notified all parents of the incident before immediately reviewing its procedures and practices.

“An action plan has been put in place to ensure that incidents of this nature are less likely to occur.

“However, the report does state that risk assessments for indoor and outdoor environments are undertaken to promote children’s safety.

“The Ofsted report highlighted a number of positive features, namely that staff have a sound understanding of learning and development requirements and that children are making the expected progress.

“The council is confident the nursery will meet all of the necessary requirements set out in the Ofsted report.”