It’s easy to become immune to stories of nurseries closing, there seems to be so many of them. But it’s now happening in my ‘back yard’, which I admit has made me sit up and take notice.

I’m shocked to hear that the nursery at South Bermondsey Children’s Centre has been earmarked for closure by the council (along with Bishop’s House Children’s Centre, also in the London borough Southwark – Nursery World, 2 April). I understand that money is tight and cuts need to be made but closing a ‘jewel in the community’ – and this is a socially deprived area that needs all the assets it can get – has surely got to be the wrong choice.

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The annual conference and dinner held for staff by nursery group Children 1^st @ Breedon House certainly delivered a feel-good factor. With the recent acquisition of two nurseries bringing more staff into the fold, the main hospitality room at the Hilton Sheffield Park Hotel was noticeably packed this year. It was particularly good to see the extended Mason family all in attendance, including founder Margaret Mason and her husband Hugh. Read More »

In 2010 the Pre-School Leaning Alliance seemed to be under a very real threat from the financial squeeze – with a poll of its members revealing that one in ten would be forced to close if the free entitlement continued to lose them money.  However, in this, its 50th anniversary year – and despite the ongoing economic climate – it is good to see the mood is positive. Read More »

The proverbial cat seems to have been well and truly put among the pigeons with the launch of the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s tendering process for the delivery of Early Years Professional Status for 2012-14 (see our story).
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Like any football referee, Ofsted is bound to come in for severe criticism, and over the years it certainly has done. The damning report from the Education select committee, The Role and Performance of Ofsted, is likely to lead to significant structural and operational changes. Read More »

Further pressure is being piled on the coalition Government in advance of the review of the free entitlement code of practice, with the release of a survey by the feisty Save Our Nurseries campaign.

This suggests that more than 1,900 childcare places could be lost from the free entitlement scheme by September, just from those PVI nurseries who responded to the survey, if the rules of the code are not amended to deal with funding shortfalls.
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Children’s minister Sarah Teather visited students on the New Leaders in Early Years programme last week and I tagged along too. Read More »

There was great disappointment among many private and voluntary sector nurseries when the new Government decided to press ahead with the Code of Practice on the free entitlement rather than suspend it as the Conservatives had promised pre-election.
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Oh the irony – I was writing a feature on marketing (We’re here! Nursery World, 20 January) while trying to track down details of a nursery local to my home.

Despite being only a short walk from where I live it’s tucked away from the main road and I’ve only recently stumbled upon it. Of course, as I’m sat at my computer all day, I Googled the nursery’s name. I found its  Ofsted report and also a short business listing but no website. The report was outstanding so why are they not shouting about themselves and telling local parents how wonderful they are? Read More »

Last Saturday’s annual conference for the Children 1st @ Breedon House nursery group was bound to be an upbeat affair. The chain had a fantastic year in 2010; two new nursery launches, and two outstanding nursery inspections including the new Plum Tree Nursery in Nottingham .

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