A nursery which ignored the concerns of fire officers has been told it "seriously jeopardises the safety of children".
Victory Day School in Woodville Road, Thornton Heath, failed to act on repeated warnings about children's welfare, breaching its legal obligation to protect pupils, inspectors said.
A scathing Ofsted report reveals the nursery, which currently has 18 children enrolled aged between one and five, did not have working fire alarms or a fire door in its kitchen to allow children and staff time to escape in an emergency.
Ofsted investigated the private nursery after "many concerns" were raised about the suitability of the building and its safety measures, including by a fire officer and an advisory teacher.
Linda du Preez, the inspector who visited the nursery, said: "Fire evacuation procedures are not well-considered because the identified assembly point is located in the garden, which has no gates or exit routes.
"Nothing has been done in response to the concerns raised. This seriously jeopardises the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in an emergency situation."
Victory Day School, which opened in 2006
Ms du Preez said neither staff nor the nursery provider, Star Seed Education Affairs, properly understood their duties to safeguarding children.
She added: "This is a concerning breach of specific legal requirements, which seriously compromises children's welfare."
Other safety concerns highlighted in the report include a steep staircase with no safety gates and a step covered with a rug, which a child tripped over during the inspection, landing on hard tiling.
Ms du Preez, who branded the nursery inadequate, also had "significant concerns" about the quality of teaching for older children, suggesting staff "fail to respond to children's interests" and did not manage children's behaviour effectively.
She said: "This inflexible approach shows disregard for children's capabilities, thoughts and ideas, which limits their progress in preparation for school."
She added: "The provider fails to identify weak teaching practice and instead blames the children, saying they have 'behaviour problems'."
Dotun Akinwole, co-founder of Star Seed Education Affairs, declined to discuss the report in detail but claimed it had "misrepresented" the nursery.
He added: "But having said that, we will learn from our mistakes and we are moving on.
"It is no use crying over spilt milk and we are looking forward to a much better future."
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