would you discount what seems like an excellent nursery because it has an unguarded pond?

[onesock]

Just been to see a nursery for DS which has been recommended to me. It had a wonderful, homely feel and all the children seemed stimulated and motivated.
However, in the garden area they have a small pond. It's about 4ft by 4ft and 1ft deep. It had a tiny fence around it but that only came up to DS's chest and he's only just under 2 at the moment. It has no guard over the top.
They tried to reassure me by saying there is always 2 members of staff outside when the kids are but the garden is quite busy with apparatus, rabbit hutches, summer house etc and it goes around 2 sides of the house/nursery.

Am I worrying about nothing? Everything else was great; they(kids) grow their own veg, climb trees and learn through exploration. Just what I was looking for. I suppose it's the sort of environment in which you'd expect to find a pond but I know it would make me very nervous.
Thanks

Much as I think the English language is superior to most others (lack of gender etc), this is one case when having a 2nd person plural would have been useful - most of the 'you's would have been 'vous'!

I'd give this nursery a miss. Sorry, but I can't for hte life of me think why a nursery would want to have a pond on site - just seems like making a rod for their own backs.

Some dear family friends of ours lost their elder son when he drowned in a swimming pool at a huge party surrounded by people.

I, too, nearly drowned at 3 at a crowded corporate family day. Kids don't fight it - it was one of my first and most peaceful memories and I still have dreams of that memory. Scary!

We had a pond in the Nursery I used to work at. It had a fence around it and a grid on top of it. This grid was tested by the inspector She stood and jumped up and down on it. It taook her weight( she was a fairly big lady), so she passed it as safe. It would not have passed if we only had a fence round it. So no you are not worrying about nothing.

asked the owners if they ever considered putting a grill over the top and they said no because then the children would never learn how to show respect for the dangers of water. She told me she disagreed with stairgates for the same reason

this attitude/response is what bothers me. That's like saying I won't hold their hand while they cross the road otherwise they'll never learn to check for cars!!!! IMO in a childcare setting you have to err on the side of caution.

I would ring Ofsted & ask why they passed this nursery without a grid on the pond when other nurseries and childminders have been told they have to be covered???

Hmmmm.

I would avoid LIKE THE PLAGUE.
Ponds kill. A nursery that doesn't see that is a danger imo.

What happens to the one kid who amnages to slip out (ot only takes one)? FGS!