To stop sending my child to nursery cause they allow him outside

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here me out, I hope I'm not being PFB but I am so fed up with my child's nursery. Time and time again I've said he is not to be outside, but nobody listens! Each day he comes home caked in mud, all up his back, caked on his shoes, not wearing any gloves or a hat, some times not even wearing his wellies just his indoor shoes! Its Baltic. On Friday I went to collect him and they said he was outside making hot chocolate... with the mud he was rolling around like a pig in shit but he was covered from head to toe, in his hair, his ears, his back from when another kid through a mudball at him I don't know whether I'm overreacting though? Aibu!!

Free flow is an EYFS requirement where possible
I don't think it is.

I wouldn’t want to collect my child covered in mud that then went all over the car. Who do they think will clean the car. Since when has a 2 year old being covered in mud and left alone on their own outside been essential for their development. He’s at nursery for a safe happy healthy environment I would be telling them he’s not a little piglet.

I’m assuming the door is immediately from the class room to the outside area so he can be seen clearly from the room? If so then he is probably bring closely watched.

That wouldn't be acceptable in any of the settings i've worked in. If children are outside an adult needs to be out there with them.

It sounds like a lazy pre-school, and adults inside aren't going to react quickly enough if a child has an accident, or eats a stone and starts choking if they're watching through a window or door.

There's no ofsted as we are in Scotland
Yes, but there will still be legal requirements and a regulator. What body registers and inspects nurseries? Complain to them.

I've already discussed my concerns, they say they will make sure he is wearing it. I once spoke to 5 teachers before dropping him off, Not one listened. The manager is never there but could be an option to try get a meeting with her to try ensure it more.
Yes I realise the outside alone is not ideal but they have 4 staff to 16 children, I can't expect anybody to be daft enough to stand out there with him!
Hence why I wish they'd just not allow him out, it's getting so much colder. If it ends up snowing will theystill allow him out with no suitable stuff on?
There's no other nursery, the school one will only accept from 3 yrs

Hi nursery teacher here . As others have said if he really is outside on his own this is not on . If they are running a proper free flow then they should be able to staff it so at least one adult is outside all of the time . If they don’t do this I would change nursery - it’s not safe
Children should be given the choice to play outside in all weathers and as they get older develop their independence skills at putting their own clothes on but the staff need to help him . I still do this with my 3 year old group - we are outside all of the time but with the right clothes on and if they get really wet or muddy we change when we go back in - it takes ages but it’s part of the job !!
If they don’t change this again I would be looking for a new nursery - but mostly I’m concerned that he’s outside by himself

Some of these responses are from cloud cuckoo land.

Of course a two year old shouldn't be unsupervised in a garden in low temperatures wearing inadequate clothing.

The mud and the temperature aren't a problem, although I can see why it would be annoying. The supervision and potential for hypothermia are.

Its about 5 degrees and drizzly where I am at the moment and if I chucked my 2 year old kid out into the garden by herself with a coat and normal shoes then that would be neglect. No different for a nursery.

'oh he loves it, it allows us to have other 1-1 time with other children" "he is so well behaved he doesn't need a teacher out there" "He's the only one out there, tinkly laugh the others found it too cold"'

Was this actually said

Nothing wrong with being outside but of course he should be supervised.

Dd spent whole of nursery life in the mud pit, normal here. Just send in old clothes and instruct them he wears them.

Why have you posted a pic of a welly with Mud on?

I don't think you're overreacting at all. We had a similar issue with my dds nursery this week and we asked for a meeting with her key worker. If you're sending him in with waterproof clothing and they aren't putting it on him then they aren't doing their job properly. He should also not be playing outside unsupervised.

Yes I realise the outside alone is not ideal but they have 4 staff to 16 children, I can't expect anybody to be daft enough to stand out there with him!

Of course they need to be outside with him and it wouldn't be daft to insist an adult is out there with him. You're paying for them to look after him, and if he is choosing to be outside then the staff need to stop being lazy and join him out there.

I even tried the tactic of him wearing the suit to nursery but at the door was told to take it off, I questioned why they said he will get to warm. I said well I want it on because you'll just bung him outside. Tinkly laugh again no we will make sure he is wearing it.
Was he? Nope

A ratio of 4:1 is fine to have an adult outside with him.
They could encourage other children out if they put them in warm clothes.
It looks to me that they're lazy with all the children.

'it allows us to have other 1-1 time with other children"

And they actually said this?

What did you say?

It's really bizarre that you are focusing on muddy wellies and not on such a serious safeguarding failure. Your two year old child is being left completely unsupervised

Yes, speak to the manager, complain to the regulator, and remove your child!

Aibu to be upset that my child is playing outside / getting muddy? YES

Aibu to be bothered that nursery staff aren’t supervising him or insisting he wears a waterproof all in one? NO

So, when they've assured you they'll put him in his suit to go outside and blatantly haven't, have you asked them why not?

OP, start putting everything in writing.
Give them a written note of what you expect and demand written answers.
Same for the manager.

There is the care inspectorate in Scotland, so the nursery will have been inspected.
So if what you are saying about the non supervision is true then report it.

How long have you been aware of this and yet still send him?

I find it very very hard to believe any nursery would let this happen, let alone TELL the parent they were leaving the child unsupervised. The potential for come-back if child has an accident is too great a risk....

Scotland does have the equivalent of Ofsted for nurseries, via Education Scotland. You can look up the latest reports on their website, and I suspect you can report concerns there. Check it out.

Yes they actually said that. It was a while ago so I can't remember my exact response, I think I stood opening and shutting my mouth a bit gobsmacked. Said something along the lines of but you think it's fine to leave him alone? "He would come in if he hurt himself, or needed something" was along the lines of their response.
Yes I asked why he doesn't wear it when I've asked, "oh you spoke to xxxx she leaves just after taking registration" or he refused to

I done that miscible, says there is no report available

Why is no one paying attention to the fact it's the nursery who are NOT putting the warm clothing on the child and that they are NOT supervising him playing outside!

So many people missing the point.

Op does send appropriate clothing but nursery dont put it on. He is 2 ffs he needs prompting and help to.put on waterproifs and wellies (keeping trousers in wellies when you put them on is tricky )
As an ex cm.i wouldnt be happy with this either. If my kid came home with indoor clothes and gym shoes caked in mud i would have something to say too. Why do people expect op to wash and dry shoes every day?

Its nurserys responsibility to ensure the kids are dressed appropriately for outdoors and believe me its baltic in Scotland at the minute. We have had tortential rain, hail and gales in the past week. If my 2yr old had been out in that rolling in mud in indoor clothes for hours i would not be happy.

Op have a word with the key worker and ask why they are not dressing him appropriately and tell them he is either covered up or he stays inside with the other kids.

The other concern is that he is out on his own not doing indoor activities with the staff nor playing with other kids. Its ok for a while but not hours, he is missing out on learning experiences. Mud is ok for a while but not all day every day.

Maybe come up with a plan with his key worker about this and talk to your ds about it too. Even.2yr olds like to have some responsibility and maybe reminding him every morning that he has to ask staff for help to.put on his waterproofs before he goes outside will help a bit and he will feel good he has been trusted to do this. Kids love a job to do to prove how 'big' they are.
Maybe setting some goals like saying you would love him to paint you a picture today might encourage him to.stay inside for a bit. Small goals he can manage and still get outside play too.

I get how frustrating this is for you. There really is no need for his only apparent nursery experience to be caked in mud every single day. Nursery should be child led but not to.the point of "oh ds will amuse himself outside all day we dont have to do anythng with him".
Good luck.

@Notjustanyone, do RTFT.