A nursery has shut suddenly after an Ofsted inspection leaving many parents without childcare.

Abacus Nursery in Smarden Road, Headcorn was suspended by the education watchdog on Wednesday (April 2) after concerns were raised children may be exposed to a risk of harm.

Nursery manager Audra Uikiene, said in a statement challenges recruiting “qualified and experienced” staff had contributed to the decision.

She added: “I am very sorry for the upheaval to children and parents having to find alternative childcare arrangements.

“Among the reasons which contributed to suspension of the nursery was a real challenge to recruit qualified and experienced nursery staff, including the management team.

“This led to an untenable situation where we struggled to provide high quality service deserved by children in our care.

“I would like to express my gratitude towards the parents for their support.”

The shock closure has created a stressful situation for many parents who are seeking to find alternative provision for the children.

A letter to parents and carers from the nursery director, which has been seen by KentOnline, shared further insight into the closure.

It said: “This decision was made following concerns regarding fire evacuation procedures that are not rigidly practised by staff, so they are unsure of the procedure to follow to evacuate babies from the first floor, in the event of an emergency.

“There are ineffective procedures in place to monitor children while they sleep (10 min checks are not efficient) and for reporting of accidents and incidents to parents.”

It went on to say the nursery would be closed “until further notice”.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or distress this closure may cause

The nursery director said she understood it was a “difficult situation” and would be working to process any refunds “as soon as possible”.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or distress this closure may cause,” she added.

“Our priority is the safety and well-being of your children and we are cooperating fully with Ofsted to address these concerns.

“We hope to be able to reopen soon but we will keep you informed of any developments.”

Ofsted declined to comment but said it was monitoring the suspension in line with its guidance.

The report, which will include full details, has not yet been published.

Abacus Nursery registered as an early years provider at Headcorn in July last year.

It had previously been rated ‘Good’ in a previous report published by inspectors in October.