Wednesday April 29th 2026
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
The toilet area at a council-run Borders nursery school should no longer be used as a corridor or thoroughfare, concerned inspectors have deemed.
The issue at Duns Primary School Nursery at Langtongate “compromises privacy and infection prevention and control systems”, a new Care Inspectorate report concludes.
The height and design of partitions between toilet cubicles also needs to be reviewed to ensure an “adequate level of privacy for all children”.
Duns Primary School Nursery within Duns Primary School is registered to provide a day care of children service to a maximum of 80 children at any one time.
The nursery is an integrated part of the school and utilizes three separate play areas, a cloakroom, and its own dedicated outdoor space that can be accessed directly from the nursery rooms.
Two inspectors paid an unannounced visit to the nursery in March.
Although inspectors found that children were happy and some were engaged in their play and learning the service’s vision, values and aims “were not clearly reflected in daily practice and should be reviewed”.
It was found that the layout of the playrooms also required consideration to better support children’s experiences.
Most staff recognised and celebrated children’s efforts and achievements, helping build confidence.
Some staff used warm, kind approaches that contributed positively to children’s well-being.
However, the report found that staff expressed that the lack of a consistent team and the ongoing reliance on supply staff had created “significant challenges within the setting”.
The report rated the service ‘satisfactory/adequate’ in three areas – leadership, allowing children to thrive and develop in quality spaces and play and learning and ‘good’ for supporting children to achieve.
Scottish Borders Council has acknowledged the findings of the report and an improvement plan has already been put in place.
The report states: “To support children’s well-being, privacy and dignity, the service should stop using the toilet area as a corridor or thoroughfare.
“The current practice increased footfall through a space intended for personal care. Leaders should review how the setting is organised to ensure that access routes do not pass through this area.
“In addition, the height and design of the partitions between the toilet cubicles should be reviewed to ensure they provide an adequate level of privacy for all children.”
The inspection also raised concerns over infection prevention procedures.
It states: “While procedures were in place to support effective infection prevention and control, the nappy changing area and some toilet facilities were not cleaned to an acceptable standard.
“The floor in the changing area had visible dirt and debris, which increased the risk of cross contamination and did not support a hygienic environment for children.”
The report adds: “Although the environment was, overall, well-resourced and planning and learning journals evidenced activities, the quality of play was not high.
“Consideration should be given to ensuring that all children were suitably challenged to explore and learn.
“While some staff demonstrated effective use of shared, sustained thinking to extend children’s learning, further development is required to ensure consistency across the team.”
A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “We acknowledge the findings of the recent Care Inspectorate report on Duns Primary School Nursery and takes the ‘adequate’ evaluations and identified areas for improvement seriously.
“While aspects of the provision meet required standards, we are committed to delivering a higher quality of care, play and learning for every child.
“A detailed improvement plan is already in place, focusing on staff support and development, the learning environment, and consistently high-quality experiences.
“Staff are working closely with local authority officers to address all recommendations without delay.
“We remain committed to keeping parents and carers informed as we make sustained improvements.”
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