Little Explorers: Parents still looking for new places for children - a month after Gosport pre-school exodus
More than 40 pre-school children lost their places at a nursery last month.
Children who were kicked out of a pre-school en masse are still struggling to be placed into new nurseries.
In April, Little Explorers Nursery and Pre-School in Heritage Way, Gosport, terminated the pre-school places of more than 40 children, all of whom were due to move up to primary school in September.
Parents were left scrambling to find new places for their children at short notice, with other pre-schools in the surrounding area expected to pick up the slack on their behalf.
The move came following an Ofsted visit, sparked by a series of complaints lodged earlier this year. Inspectors found safeguarding failures, health and safety concerns, and special educational needs not being met, leading to a welfare notice being issued.
Now, some parents are still hunting for a new pre-school place for their child - and are being forced to cast their net further afield.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We’ve tried all the local pre-schools and they simply don’t have anymore spaces. They’ve had to take on so many new kids already so I understand it - but it’s still frustrating.
“It’s at the point now where we’d be looking at driving up to somewhere in Locks Heath or something, just to take our child to nursery. I know we’re not the only parents still in this situation either.”
A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council told The News that some families have been able to find places for their children on their own. For others, the county council is still there to help.
“Over the past few weeks, we have been working very closely with the parents and carers affected to find new places for all the children impacted by the nursery’s decision,” they said. “This includes reaching out to more than 60 childcare providers to search for places and making arrangements, alongside parents and carers, for children to start as quickly as possible - with many now settling into their new surroundings.
“While we understand a number of families have made their own arrangements, we are pleased to have been able to offer support to all those who asked for our assistance.”