Nursery ‘tied children to naughty chair’

A MONTESSORI nursery strapped children to a “naughty chair’ by their wrists, parents have alleged.

Now Lamb Setts Montessori Nursery has been forced to close while Ofsted investigates complaints from parents about the treatment of misbehaving pupils.

One mother who complained said her daughter once told her: “I’m a good girl so I don’t go in the strap chair”, but said another child, who had been naughty, was strapped in and stopped from playing or eating their snack.

“She said the strap was kept in a drawer and had been taken out and used as a threat to get children to behave,” the mother said.

Ofsted, the schools inspectorate, said the pre-school in the Mosborough area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, failed to notify them about an allegation made against a member of staff and the use of restraints.

A spokesman said: “The purpose of the suspension is to allow time to investigate and for any necessary steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm.”

Christy Bakewell, nursery manager, wrote to parents saying: “We do not have a naughty chair, naughty corner or anything of that nature. We do not even use the word ‘naughty’.”