Case study: shouting and tears

Last updated at 22:00 18 August 2006


Toddlers at Little Treasures nursery were shouted at and manhandled by staff in harrowing scenes captured on undercover cameras.

One young boy was yanked by his arm while another was shown crying as a nursery worker yelled "sit, stupid boy!"

The same carer called one child a "minger" and another an "imbecile" for sobbing for his mother.

The footage, shown on the BBC, prompted some parents to remove their children from the £110-a-week nursery in Festival Way, Stoke-on-Trent.

Ofsted launched an investigation but shortly afterwards the owner sold the nursery.

The mistreatment of children there was uncovered by a reporter who worked at the setting for three weeks without any checks on the references she supplied.

She discovered that children were sometimes left in the charge of unqualified workers while staff failed to wear gloves, to spray mats or even wash their hands after nappy changes.

In one scene, a member of staff described how she frightened two children so much that one little girl soiled herself.

Another youngster was filmed crying as a nursery nurse ordered him to stop scratching his eczema.

Ofsted announced it was slashing advance warning of inspectors' visits following coverage of the nursery and two others, although claimed the move was not prompted by the reporter's revelations.

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