According to BBC reports, nursery staff left a young child behind in woodland following a walk. The incident occurred at a nursery in Bedfordshire, which cares for children under five. The nursery informed Ofsted about the "incident" in December and issued an "unreserved" apology to the parents involved.

A person from a nearby riding stable safely found and returned the child. While Ofsted confirmed that a "serious incident" occurred, it did not clarify how the child was left behind.

After an inspection in July, the BBC learned that the nursery, rated "outstanding" by Ofsted, had taken children for a supervised walk in the nearby woods when the incident happened. However, the nursery declined to disclose the child's age or how long they were alone.

An Ofsted spokesperson stated that they were notified on 10 December and, after conducting an investigation, issued a "compliance action." This included a notice requiring the nursery to ensure children's safety during outings by identifying and managing risks. All outings were paused until revised safety measures were fully implemented.

The nursery's director, admitted to the incident and assured parents were fully informed. The nursery cooperated with Ofsted, which conducted a follow-up inspection. A report on the inspection would be released "in due course."

Robust procedures are required at all early years settings and provisions to prevent such indcidents from occurring at all.