As a parent of a child at Piplings Nursery, and local resident, I feel I have to respond to the ‘facts’ noted in the TLERA newsletter posted this afternoon:

With regards to Nursery places in the area:
I visited 2 other nurseries in the local area when I was pregnant with my daughter who is now coming up to 2 years old. I put my name on the waiting lists and at several stages during my pregnancy and maternity leave contacted them to check progress on her place. I was informed I was ‘no. 51 on the list’, or told ‘it’s not likely a place will come up for at least a year, probably longer..’.
Thankfully in the meantime I contacted and visited Piplings and was offered a place for when I returned to full time work in May last year. We immediately signed up.
This was an easy decision to make. On visiting the nursery it was way above the standard of others in the local area. An opinion clearly echoed by other parents and more importantly the Ofsted inspection later that year. Outstanding in all 17 areas.

On receiving the devasting news two weeks ago that we were facing losing Piplings Forest Hill I contacted the other nurseries again in order to keep our options open (Piplings East Dulwich is further away for us), and was informed by one that my daughter was still not at the top of the list, despite having been on it for 2 years. The other had not kept my daughter on their list despite me requesting them to.

In fact the topic of finding available places at local quality childcare was one discussed almost weekly by the mothers I met during my maternity leave, often with tears and angst at the worry of finding somewhere they felt happy leaving their children when returning to work. There was a severe shortage of places, particularly as siblings usually take priority over other new starters.
I felt incredibly lucky to have found a place for my daughter at such a peaceful, small and intimate nursery.

And now we face losing this. As do other parents in the future.

I appreciate that Tewkesbury Lodge Estate is a quiet and residential area. But the nursery is not a nuisance.

On the days I drive to drop my daughter off (we walk when ever we can) I park sensibly and safely, and have NEVER blocked a neighbours drive.
I have also NEVER seen staff smoke outside the premises, and have had confirmation from the owners that staff do not smoke.

The children are not in the garden ‘almost all of the day, every day’ – as part of the planning application this was set as a maximum of 2 hours before and after lunch, and I know they are rarely out there even this amount of time.

Quality local nurseries are ‘a good thing’ as Lewisham council suggest. I am sure the suggestion in the newsletter that a Sainsbury’s Local will be next can be seen as a little ridiculous.

I really hope the members of TLERA can do what they can to halt the legal action against Piplings and be proud of having an outstanding nursery on the hill.

http://www.friendsofpiplings.org