A day nursery has been forced to slash 30 places for September after Wiltshire Council axed support funding following its second 'inadequate' rating this year.
The loss of funding for Wally’s Day Nursery in Trowbridge means it will have only 62 places available in the autumn rather than 92.
The move follows a second ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted which said it intended to take enforcement action.
The report of the inspection carried out between Thursday, June 6 to Thursday, June 13, states: "There are weaknesses in the arrangements to safeguard children, which compromise their safety and welfare. Those with a safeguarding lead role do not have robust systems in place to identify, record and monitor children's existing injuries."
It adds that "ineffective safeguarding procedures puts children at risk".
The report notes that children are happy when they arrive at the nursery and that leaders have taken some action to tackle areas of weakness identified at the last inspection but concludes this has been "insufficient to address the issues raised".
In March the nursery was also rated as ‘inadequate’ and was given until Friday, June 21 and Friday, August 2 to ensure compliance with standards.
Cllr Laura Mayes, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Following their Ofsted rating of inadequate in March 2024, we gave Wally’s Day Nursey formal notice that Early Years Entitlement funding for all funded children would be withdrawn from Friday 24 May 2024, in line with national regulations and the Wiltshire Provider Agreement (Section 17, point 1).
“The only exception was for current funded four-year-olds who are due to start school in September 2024. Wally’s Day Nursey are able to continue to deliver Early Years Entitlement funding to these children until 31 August 2024.
“Wally’s Day Nursery was instructed that all other parents would need to find alternative places for their children after 24 May 2024, or fund the childcare at Wally’s Day Nursery themselves.
“A further Ofsted inspection was carried out in June and the rating of all areas remained ‘inadequate’, therefore we upheld our decision to withdraw funding.”
After being given a welfare requirements notice on Monday, June 17, Wally’s Day Nursery was told to meet five compliance actions, two by Friday, June 21 and three by Friday, August 2.
A further regulatory visit was made on Monday, June 24 and Ofsted found the nursery had met the two safeguarding and welfare actions by June 21.
The nursery was told to meet three outstanding requirements of the early years foundation stage by Friday, August 2 or face further enforcement action. It is not yet clear if these have been met.
Wally’s Day Nursery manager, Louise Day said they had lodged a formal complaint about the last Ofsted inspection and said they had a meeting planned.
She added: “If we think that any of our children are at risk, obviously we would have investigated it further.
“Children get knocks and bumps all the time when they are at home. If we thought it was anything more serious or we were not happy with the explanation that parent had given it could have gone a very different way.”
“The families have been very understanding and supportive. We have been very open honest with them and are working with the council to put things back on track,” she added.
In 2022 the nursery was rated ‘good’ overall, with one management area rated as ‘outstanding’.
The school is still registered with Ofsted.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here