Mouse Hole Carbon Monoxide Incident Post Reply

[LocalparentSW]

As a parent living locally, with a son who previously attended Mouse Hole Nursery (and Mouse House), part of The Kindergartens Nursery, I'm writing to share some concerning information regarding a serious incident and the nursery's subsequent handling of it. I believe it's vital that parents in the area are aware of this, as we all want the very best for our children.

My experience with Mouse Hole Nursery regarding this matter has been extremely negative. The nursery management has consistently lacked transparency about the incident, failing to communicate effectively with parents, myself included. Despite numerous requests (over 10), they refused to provide me with a formal incident report. I was eventually able to obtain this information via the relevant government department, and have received confirmation that I am permitted to share it publicly – something the nursery actively tried to prevent.

This report is a Health and Safety Executive investigation into a carbon monoxide incident at the nursery. The information provided by the nursery within the report is, in places, inaccurate. Such as that the parents were informed about all the details of the incident which is not true. The report states a specific carbon monoxide level of 120 which, according to readily available information (e.g., Wikipedia), someone exposed to that level can have a loss of judgment and headaches. Furthermore, report proves that a neighbour's carbon monoxide alarm was triggered, not the nursery's – a detail that was also misrepresented to parents at the time of the incident. It appears that both past and present nursery management are attempting to avoid accountability for both the incident itself and their handling of the aftermath.

While many parents reported the incident to Ofsted, who subsequently inspected the nursery and maintained their "Outstanding" rating, I find this perplexing. While I acknowledge the nursery may excel in other areas, this safety incident raises serious questions. I contacted Ofsted to express my concerns and was informed that their inspections focus on what is observed on the day of the inspection. Therefore, incidents occurring outside of those inspection times are not necessarily taken into account when awarding ratings. This, to me, highlights a potential limitation in the Ofsted system and suggests we should all be mindful of this when considering Ofsted reports.

I am attaching the Health and Safety Executive report for all parents to review. I would greatly appreciate your input and perspectives on this matter. Does this report raise concerns for you? How do you feel about the nursery's handling of the situation, particularly their initial refusal to share the report with me, and their subsequent attempts to suppress its publication? I am deeply concerned about a nursery operating in this manner, and I believe open discussion among parents is essential. Your thoughts and experiences would be invaluable.

[chorister]

I'm not in any way involved in or connected to this, but I can tell you the HSE is very thorough.  Especially with children involved if they felt that there was an ongoing risk they would have closed the place; if they felt that they had been deliberately misled they would have prosecuted.  I suggest you get expert advice on the report before posting this sort of stuff.  

[LocalparentSW]

@chorister- I've done a very thorough bit of research, as you can see, the incident happened over 18 months ago. I certainly wouldn't post something like this without careful consideration. I'm afraid I strongly disagree with your assessment. I have already contacted the HSE regarding the inaccuracies in their report. Their response was that they rely on the nursery to provide them with correct information. I've included a photograph of a section of my email exchange with the HSE for your review, shared with their full approval, of course.

[chorister]

It is inconceivable that the H&S executive will not have checked whether the school's carbon monoxide detector was functioning correctly.  I haven't of course seen all the correspondence but it looks to me as if they are simply telling you politely that there isn't an H&S issue - if you have specialist knowledge otherwise then fair enough, but if not I think you should stop damaging the reputation of a local business (which I have no connection with).

Anyone who owns rental flats (as I do) will know that CO detectors are sensitive and if the battery is changed and they are properly maintained they are reliable.

[Goldhawk]

Why are you posting about it now?
Have you fallen out with the nursery?

I would hope by now that they have a working carbon monoxide alarm and an up to date gas inspection certificate

[LocalparentSW]

@Goldhawk- Look, I fell out with the nursery ages ago. I'm posting about this to make sure other parents are in the know. Wouldn't you want to send your little one to a nursery that, at the very least, keeps them safe and has a working carbon monoxide alarm? Because this nursery didn't have one.

[chorister]

I think you need to find out a lot more about how the HSE operates - HINT: that doesn't mean "spend more time on Google".

[SWparent100]

I saw this post and just had to comment.

This comes across as an incredibly inflammatory (and frankly, quite bitter) take.

As a parent of two children currently at Mouse House (and with my eldest at Mouse Hole when this so-called ‘incident’ took place), I can confidently say that we were informed about what happened at the time. The children and staff were unharmed and, months later, are absolutely fine.

It really feels like there’s a personal agenda behind this post—almost like you’re out for revenge against the nursery. If you have grievances, surely they should be addressed privately rather than stirring up unnecessary panic?

Both of my children are thriving at Mouse House. They have great friendships, are well cared for, and the staff are fantastic—dedicated, hardworking, and always prioritising the children's well-being. Yes, communication isn’t always perfect, but this post feels misleading. Was there actually a mass exodus of children following this, or was it just you...?

Honestly, I’m not sure what you’re trying to achieve here...

[LocalparentSW]

@SWparent100 - I am glad if you feel that communication with the nursery when this incident took place was good. I, also parent of one of the children, was absolutely not impressed, as you can probably conclude from my post. I would be shocked if you tell me that on the day when nursery has called parents to inform us about carbon monoxide leak that they told you that it was neighbouring property CM alarm that went off. Was that the case? Or did they share that information with all of us 7 days later?

It is quite sad that you are seeing my post as a ‘personal agenda’ rather then making awareness for other parents about what happened at the nursery.
In regards to your statement about team members- what happened to lovely head teacher at Mouse Hole, why did she leave or was made to leave? As a parent of one of the children who attended the nursery at the time, you would be well aware that majority of children left the nursery after the incident.

[SWparent100]

@localparentSW - The old head teacher at Mouse Hole (who was amazing) left simply because she got a job closer to home, not because of anything related to the incident. And regarding the majority of parents leaving—many of them are now at Mouse Hole, so it’s not quite as dramatic as you’re making it sound.

I completely understand that you weren’t happy with the communication at the time, but this incident happened quite a while ago. Continuing to bring it up now, despite the nursery moving forward, makes it seem like there’s more of a personal agenda at play rather than genuine concern for current parents.

At some point, it’s probably best you move on. The children are happy, safe, and thriving, and that should be the main focus.

[MummE]

I've been watching this thread develop and had to chime in to say I agree with previous posters - you need to move on from this. I have no experience of this nursery as we went down the childminder route, but it does appear that you hold a personal vendetta against them. The alarm sounded, they evacuated, informed parents, and let everyone back in once it was declared safe. What else could they have done? No children were harmed but a member of staff was taken to hospital, that is awful, I hope they are ok. Do you think the nursery wanted this to happen?! I hardly think so. (And rather ironic that you'd be so difficult about it and then wonder why the manager left...)

[SWparent100]

Last comment on this - I’ve just remembered who I think this poster is, and if I’m correct, this isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this. They caused similar issues at another nursery before Mouse House and were actually asked to remove their child due to the disruption they caused.

What’s more, this was common knowledge among parents at the nursery at the time, not just because of general conversations, but also due to their comments and actions in the parent WhatsApp group. Their way of spreading alarm and stirring unnecessary panic was a real concern for many parents back then.

This seems to be a pattern—creating negativity, making accusations, and refusing to let things go, even long after everyone else has moved on. At this point, it’s less about genuine concerns and more about finding something to fixate on, whether it’s justified or not.

You have to wonder—why keep dragging this up? If they were truly concerned about children’s safety, surely their focus would be on their child’s current wellbeing, not a nursery they left long ago. Maybe it’s time to move on and channel all this energy into something more productive.