Warning: This article contains content some may find distressing.
Serious concerns regarding a suspected paedophile childcare worker were reportedly ignored for months by nursery management, according to a BBC investigation.
A former employee at Partou King Street Nursery in Bristol, Bessie Martin, stated she alerted management to Nathan Bennett's behaviour prior to the discovery of his abuse of children.
"I would see a child try to wriggle away or stand up and walk off, but he'd say, 'sit here and we're going to read a book'."
Martin reported that Bennett would hold children for extended periods, often seating them on his lap outside the view of CCTV cameras. Her concerns were dismissed by management, who told her she was "imagining it."
Bennett was sentenced in February to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing five boys aged two and three.
Partou has stated to the BBC that it "actively encourages" the reporting of concerns and has implemented recommendations to "strengthen safeguarding governance further and enhance oversight across the organisation."
Although the King Street nursery closed in December, Partou remains one of England's largest nursery providers, operating over 100 sites.
The BBC investigation found that following Bennett's arrest, Partou nurseries received more official notices to improve safeguarding, safety, or welfare than the average nursery in England.
Similarly, Bright Horizons, which operates 270 UK nurseries, also received a higher than average number of Welfare Requirements Notices (WRNs) from the regulator Ofsted after the arrest of another paedophile, Vincent Chan, in London.
Prior to the arrests of Bennett and Chan, the WRN figures for both nursery chains were closer to the national average.
Ofsted informed the BBC that it increased inspection activity for both Partou and Bright Horizons following these cases.
'Constantly complaining'
Bessie Martin described becoming suspicious of Bennett's behaviour when she observed him holding children for prolonged periods.
"I was constantly complaining about him for months,"she said, adding that it was only after she submitted a whistleblowing report to senior management that Bennett was suspended.
However, Bennett was permitted to return to work shortly thereafter. Two weeks later, a CCTV review revealed him placing his hands inside a boy's trousers.
The nursery suspended Bennett again and notified the council's Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The police were alerted the following day, leading to his arrest.
Parents also reported concerns about Bennett's behaviour to nursery management in the months preceding his arrest. One mother described him as "overly physical" with children.
Our investigation found that some of these concerns were not forwarded to the LADO and Ofsted, despite the nursery's legal obligation to do so.
Due to limited CCTV evidence, some parents may never know if their children were abused. Speaking publicly for the first time, another mother recounted that her child told her Bennett had "tickled" him inappropriately under his clothes.
She noted that Bennett often worked alone in the mornings when children arrived.
"I've got an image of seeing [my son's] little face at the window, sometimes crying, and Nathan [Bennett] beside him waving."
Partou nurseries were found to be twice as likely to receive a WRN from Ofsted compared to the average nursery in the four years leading to March 2025. This increased to more than seven times the average in the 12 months following Bennett's arrest.
Welfare Requirements Notices address various issues, including failure to report abuse allegations, unsafe premises, poor record-keeping, and inadequate staff vetting.
Partou emphasized that such figures should be interpreted carefully, as standards may vary among operators. The company stated safeguarding is its "highest priority" and that it has provided affected families with the "fullest possible support."
An independent safeguarding review identified failures by individuals at the Bristol nursery; some have left the company, while others remain subject to ongoing internal actions.
'Not a good place'
A former staff member at Bright Horizons in West Hampstead, who wished to remain anonymous, described Vincent Chan as "very cold and didn't show any emotion."
She believed he should not have been working with children but did not file a formal complaint.
Chan was sentenced to 18 years in prison in February after abusing children at the nursery and elsewhere over seven years. He used nursery iPads to record his offences.
The former staff member described the nursery as "not a good place," citing a high turnover of agency staff who, she said, did not engage with children.
Bright Horizons stated there is no evidence that other staff at the nursery were aware of Chan's crimes.
However, the company is currently facing legal action from 46 families alleging it dismissed concerns about Chan's general behaviour, including shouting at children and encouraging aggressive behaviour among them.
Alison Millar from legal firm Leigh Day commented that parents should expect their children to be kept safe and expressed concern over the number of WRNs Bright Horizons received last year.
Between March 2021 and March 2025, Bright Horizons nurseries received WRNs at the average rate for England. In the subsequent 12 months, this increased to more than four times the average due to increased Ofsted inspections.
Bright Horizons welcomed scrutiny but disputed the BBC's data analysis as not accurately representing the standard of care in its nurseries.
The company has expanded training, engaged an independent safeguarding organisation to review practices, and is piloting the use of cameras.
'Dangerously misleading'
Both Partou's King Street Nursery and Bright Horizons in West Hampstead held an overall Ofsted rating of "good" prior to the arrests of Bennett and Chan.
Bright Horizons received another "good" rating after Chan's arrest but before his offending was publicly revealed.
Dr Tammy Campbell of the Education Policy Institute stated that Ofsted ratings can be "dangerously misleading" as they may not reflect the number of complaints, concerns, or WRNs a nursery has.
"It's possible for a setting to have an Ofsted rating of 'good' and to be completely failing,"she said.
Most nurseries in England (98%) are rated "good" or "outstanding."
Even when concerns arise between routine inspections, which occur every four years, performance ratings are typically retained.
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have separate regulatory bodies.
Ofsted stated it will collaborate with the government to strengthen its response to nursery concerns, describing its new approach as "much more rigorous."
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance representing childcare providers, said the "vast majority" of nurseries are safe but recent months have seen a "disproportionate number of concerns."
His organisation is focusing on eliminating bad practices but notes that government investment is necessary to reduce pressure and improve staff training.
Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey stated that the government has implemented tougher recruitment checks, clearer whistleblowing procedures, and new training standards.
If you would like to contact BBC journalist Hayley Hassall about this story, you can email her directly at Hayley.Hassall@bbc.co.uk.
Additional reporting by Maryam Ahmed and Barbara Metzler, BBC Verify.
