Nursery World - Opinion: To the Point

'Quick-buck' nurseries are taking advantage in deprived areas, says Helen Penn.

On my route to work, there is a private day nursery in a run-down terrace of shops on a main road. Within the past two years this nursery has had several owners. It began as an offshoot of a radical Pentecostal church. Then it was taken over by the owners of a local nursery whose Ofsted report stated it was 'inadequate'. Now I notice it has been taken over again, by another small chain, and has a new name.

When I enquired about the new owners, the local Family Information Service knew nothing about them and suggested I consult the Ofsted site. The Ofsted site gave only registration details, since the nursery in its new guise had not yet been inspected. The website advertised above the shopfront is a domain name only and has a blank page. So I decided to ring the bell and ask for a leaflet. I was let into a bare, dingy, dirty hallway. 'What do you want a leaflet for? Why have you come here?' the worker said. A toddler with a nappy half way down his legs strayed into the hallway. He was hauled up by one arm and taken away.

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