Yorkshire nursery shut for six weeks as Ofsted investigates possible 'risk' to children

The education watchdog said it imposed a six-week suspension on Crescent Corner Day Nursery, on Halifax Road, in Grenoside, Sheffield, in a decision made on January 13 after an inspection was conducted the day before.

Crescent Corner is owned by Cornerstones Nurseries, which has several branches in the city, including the now closed Beechwood Day Nursery, in Dyche Road, Jordanthorpe.

Sister paper The Star obtained a copy of the letter, which has yet to be made public on Ofsted' s website, which notes that the suspension was imposed while an investigation takes place.

It said that Ofsted would look into whether a child 'may be exposed to a risk or harm and for any necessary steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risk or harm'.

The letter added: "We will review the situation regularly and will lift the suspension within this period if we believe children are no longer at risk.

"We have suspended the registration because of significant breaches of the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage found during an inspection on 12 January, 2022."

A parent, who declined to be named, expressed concern about the situation as she said parents were only informed by the nursery that the suspension was due to ‘inconsistency with staff’.

The parent said: "I felt that was not a truthful answer but I could not get more than that.

"Staff have been allowed to work at other locations – not sure if Ofsted know this or not. But we were then informed that the manager had failed to train staff with safeguarding knowledge, with Cornerstones still dismissing the investigation as invalid.

"This week we were then informed that as they failed the inspection they no longer qualify for free childcare places."

She and several of the other parents are now attempting to obtain a refund for their childcare after paying for this month and the nursery closing for the first full week of January.

The parents were also asked to collect their child's belongings at the nursery on Friday morning (January 28).

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‘Complete disregard to the children and parents’

The nursery's Facebook page has also been inundated with angry comments from parents following the suspension.

One wrote: "Terrible attitude and very bad management to the recent events which have led to Ofsted closing this nursery. Complete disregard to the children and parents affected."

Another parent said: "Completely let us and more importantly my daughter down by having an incompetent manager and staff team resulting in Ofsted shutting them and withdrawing any funded hours parents are entitled to… Absolute disgrace."

Previously, Beechwood Day Nursery was ordered by Ofsted to raise its standard of teaching and address a series of safeguarding problems after it was rated 'inadequate' in all areas last August.

The management, in response, said the visit was marred by Covid isolations causing staff shortages and claimed that the visit did 'not give an adequate picture of normality'.

Cornerstones Nurseries has been approached for comment.