Another nursery dilemma - I am so cross

[crossparent]

Have changed my name for this as the nursery in question is small. My child attends a private day nursery and loves it. Last night we got a letter from the nursery explaining that the class size was in breach of the Ofsted regulations and that they were looking for volunteers to take their child out of the nursery for 4 weeks (until an extension to the class is completed) FROM MONDAY! If no volunteers come forward, the nursery will decide who has to be taken away for that period. I am so cross about this and just want to go in and shout at them for being so stupid.

We've told the nursery we can't do this as we both work full time, but I am spitting - only don't want to raise a fuss now in case they select us, so have to wait until after the weekend.

Question is, what would you do? We pay a fortune for this nursery - in fact I think it's the most expensive one in the area. (It also happened to be the only one with a place at the time we were looking.) However in return for the arm and a leg fees I feel we are entitled to expect not only great care, but at the least compliance with applicable regulations - I feel so cheated at the thought that they are shoehorning in extra children at the expense of my child - extreme reaction I know, especially as we don't yet know how long this has been going on for. Thanks for reading this far - any advice on how to take this up appreciated....

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I think you're very justified in being horrified. If they are not complying with pretty basic regulations regarding class sizes (ratio or adults? or floorspace per child?) ... what other guidelines are they not following? IME the limits are pretty generous - i.e. I wouldn't like my child in a nursery with staffing levels or space on the absolute limit of the guidelines, and certainly if they were below it.

How old is your child? How long have they been at the nursery? How long has the nursery been running?

I'd certainly be considering the options of moving him/her to a more professional operation asap.

Not sure if im reading this properly but class size as in numbers of pupils or actual floor space? As you mention its small and how would an extension help if there were still more pupils than were officially allowed?

I'd go right back to Ofsted and ask for their comments on how this meets their guidelines on continuity of care. I am assuming at the very least that the lucky volunteers will get their fees refunded for the period in question...
I can't imagine how the owners think any of their clients will be able to whip their child out of nursery for a month with virtually no notice.
You have my sympathies. The small, private nurseries can be wonderful, but IME they also have a cruel knack of calling extra staff meetings, chucking out your child at the slightest sneeze, etc...we had a delightful nursery like this for ds1 and I lost count of the times we had to grit our teeth and remind ourselves that it was excellent, child-centred etc. None of which cut much ice with our employers .
Keep us posted on this one, Crossparent...and good luck.

Thanks roisin & charliecat.

The nursery is in a big old victorian house with several classrooms, so the room sizes aren't huge. The problem seems to be just with this one class - ie too many children for that classroom, so as the size of the room will nearly be doubled with the extension, I think that the problem should then go away (extension half built at present). The average age of children in this class is 14-18 months. They must be at capacity elsewhere otherwise they'd be able to move children from this class to another one but I don't want to ask too many questions and rock the boat until we know what is happening next week.

Everywhere here (S London) has waiting lists, and we're thinking of moving out of London this summer anyway, so the timing is all wrong. If we were definitely staying I would move dd but not keen to uproot for a short time before doing it again. And otherwise dd seems very happy - always smiley when she goes, and on occassion its hard to get her to leave and come home!

sorry to hear this, crossparent. you may be aware we had a nursery issue recently too, they are so upsetting. i can only second marina's advice to go back to ofsted on this. did you have any notion previously that the ratios weren't being maintained?

whereabouts are you?

Sounds pants, crossparent. V frustrating. Have they said how they'll decide? Do you get extra points for needing the place more than those who aren't working or do most of the kids there have working parents? Can't really think of anything useful to suggest- do see your dilemma re getting visibly antsy before they make their decision. I guess all you can do is sit tight, wait for the news and then complain vociferously to the nursery and ofsted. Lots of sympathy to you.

SQ we're in Herne Hill/Dulwich. I've checked the Ofsted site and the room size seems roughly to be about right (without having taken a tape measure to it!). The first we'd heard of any problems was last night's letter - the Ofsted inspections seem to be going on this week, but again we knew nothing of this either.

We have a fantastic au pair coming at the end of the month, who was with us last year and is coming back for a year, and it's tempting just to pull dd out completely - we can both work from home for much of the week, so would have an element of supervision, but that's probably a whole other thread!

I think you have to consider the nature of the breach. If it was a serious area, like staff to child ratios, which could put your child at risk, then I would be worried about the inegrity of the nursery. But this is to do with floor area, which I can see being more easily overlooked if the staff ratios are fine. Obviously it's not ideal that they're in breach of any regulations but they are building an extension, so if they'd been inspected 4 weeks later this problem would never have arisen.
The chances are you won't be chosen - either soeone will volunteer or they'll choose a part timer. If they do impose it on someone I woould insist on it being the last in as it was accepting this last child that put them in breach.

I'd be cross especially if it was costing a fortune.

Have to say that I would be really annoyed about the late notice and the fact that someone's child has to be taken out. I have no idea how they can expect this to happen. Dd only goes part time but there is no way I could get an alternative child care arrangement for those 2 days, and I can't even use holidays - as a teacher, not able obviously.

I would want to know exactly what their criteria was going to be for selecting which child is removed.

Can't add anything that others havn't etc ect
BUT I would suggest to them that "last in first out" as they obviously took on the extra child based on the extension being finished, if ofsted had come later on this wouldn't have been discovered...
Good luck - I'd be crossparent too....

Ofsted are crap- it has to be said. Our ofsted inspections were a joke- our nursery was found to be in breach as it didn't have a jug of water availavble for 2 year olds to help themselves! In the end Ofsted agreed that the jug didn't have to be there if a written notice (for 2 year olds!) was put up which had to say "children if you want a drink ask an adult".

Inspections have recently changed from SS to ofsted and it has to be said that ofsted seem to be making a pigs ear out of it - so the nursery may have been caught in that.

I thought that my son's nursery had to register with the council for the whole floor space stuff (they have recently built an extension and now take 4 extra children). COuld be wrong though.

Thanks everyone, it's been really helpful to hear your thoughts. I'm still going to raise this with them as it is a serious concern and the lack of notice is outrageous, but will wait until next week. Last in is a good thought - I think that would count us out, but hopefully this will be sorted pdq.

Let us know how you get on CP - and good luck!!