SECURITY at a pre-school where a child was reported missing is no longer a concern, according to Ofsted officers who in May ajudged Haydon Meadow pre-school inadequate.

The Haydon Centre organisation had contested the original report and claimed there were a number of factual inaccuracies, including the fact that the child reported missing had wandered into a corridor.

The inspection was the result of an alert from the early years provider notifying them a child had wandered off unsupervised in April of this year.

In a letter to parents responding to the damning Ofsted report, pre-school manager Debbie Waldron and co-manager Chris Webb said: “The door of the room, when closed, was identified to be secure and safe, which agrees with previous Ofsted inspections, particularly one that was carried out on a group last year who use the same premises and care for early years children.

“No child has ever (in over 20 years) opened the door independently. This door is weighted, making it difficult for a child to pull open from inside the pre-school.”

Nick Hudson, early years inspector with Ofsted, said the pre-school had made all the right steps to tighten up security provisions after a monitoring visit last month.

“The inspector found that you have reviewed the risk assessment for the security of the premises, and that you have implemented various measures to minimise the risk of children leaving the premises and unvetted individuals entering the premises unsupervised,” he wrote.

“You have installed handles above child height on the doors to the sessional room and the full daycare room so that children cannot push the doors open.

“You have also installed a stairgate in the doorway to the sessional room to act as an additional barrier.

“This is not possible on the doorway to the full daycare room as it is a fire door.

“However, you do put a stairgate in the doorway at the beginning and end of sessions.

“You have spoken to staff in the Haydon Centre so that you can work together to ensure the premises are secure. A member of staff is deployed in the area by the door at all times and they are responsible for monitoring anyone coming in and out of the room.

“You have reviewed the process when children arrive at the setting and when they leave.

“You ensure that two staff stand at the door and one completes the register while the other lets each child in or out of the room and into their parent or carer’s supervision.

“As a result of the measures you have introduced, you have minimised the risk of children leaving the premises unsupervised, and the risk assessment alerts staff to their responsibilities in this regard.

“The inspector was satisfied that you are on track to ensure safeguarding concerns are identified and reported.

“The inspector is of the opinion that at this time you have taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement.”