Staff have been left “absolutely devastated” after Ofsted rated their small village nursery ‘inadequate’ over safeguarding concerns.

Elham Pre-School, near Canterbury, received the worst possible grade after an inspection last month found there were too few workers to meet the needs of the 11 children enrolled.

The nursery’s manager has told KentOnline she plans to recruit another member of staff in the coming months and to improve the rating the next time the government watchdog visits.

The recent Ofsted report said: “At times, especially at the beginning of the day, staffing arrangements do not meet the children’s needs as there are not enough staff on site.

“There are occasions when members of staff are left on their own to care for children.

“The layout of the building and the location of the toilets means that children's needs cannot be adequately met in these circumstances.”

The pre-school at Elham Village Hall - which caters for youngsters aged two to four - had previously been rated good.

But citing the lack of an “open and positive culture around safeguarding”, Ofsted double-downgraded the High Street site to ‘inadequate’.

Manager Elaine Troth says staff were deeply affected by the negative result.

“We were absolutely devastated when she said she would be judging us inadequate,” said Ms Troth.

“We work hard to ensure the children have a wonderful time while in our care. We love seeing them grow and learn until they leave us to go to school.”

Last year, the previous Conservative government changed the statutory minimum staff-to-child ratios in England for two-year-olds from 1:4 to 1:5.

“It’s a very short snapshot of staff and all that we do with the children…”

However, Ofsted’s concerns regarding staffing at Elham Pre-School were more in regard to how employees were being deployed, rather than the total number working that day.

During the site visit on July 16, inspector Kelly Southern was impressed by the quality of education provided, as well as children’s good behaviour and staff’s rapport with parents.

However, she was disappointed with workers’ preparedness and knowledge of safety protocols.

“Staff do not receive adequate support, coaching and training, such as through supervision sessions,” her report says.

“The provider does not ensure relevant staff know how to manage concerns about a colleague’s behaviour or practice, in order to keep children safe.

“Nonetheless, the quality of education is good.

“Children show kindness and care towards one another, enjoying the company of their peers and staff.”

Speaking to KentOnline, Ms Troth welcomed the positive comments but questioned the value of the relatively short “snapshot” visit.

Asked if she believed the inspection was carried out fairly, she said: “It’s probably as fair as it can be.

“They can only comment on what they see in the period of time they are with you but when she was only with us for about three hours on the day, it’s a very short snapshot of staff and all that we do with the children.

“I also feel any Ofsted inspection has a note of unfairness as members of staff are put on the spot to answer questions there and then.

“Under the pressure of knowing your answer could have an impact on how the whole setting is judged. Very often your mind can go blank.”

Ms Troth added that all of the issues raised were rectified the day after the inspection and that her team will be aiming for a much better score when Ofsted return in the next four to six months.

While she intends to take on another member of staff, the sector has been struggling with a recruitment crisis due to concerns over low pay and a lack of career progression.

In February, the then-government launched a campaign to boost the number of childcare workers, including a trial of £1,000 cash sign-on bonuses.

Demand for places is increasing, with working parents able to get 15 hours free childcare for nine-month-olds from September.

From September 2025, this will be extended to 30 free hours for all under-5s.