Nursery breaking contract

[GinnyG]

Hi I'm new to the board and was advised by a friend who uses it regularly this was the place to come to get some advice :)

I have found myself in a situation that I can quite believe to be honest.

After deciding to go back to work when my daughter was 14 months I found what I thought was the perfect nursery. They were a new start up and the owners a husband and wife team had one child of their own though no formal childcare or business experience themselves but seemed to be hiring a great staff and had the most amazing premises.

There is quite a lot of events that lead up to this but basically I seem to have got on the wrong side of the female owner and it felt like she found an ulterior motive in everything I did, I felt like I was being more and more misunderstood and there just seemed no reaching out to the woman. Anyway, to get to the point of why I am posting on here.

My husband and I were called into a meeting with the two owners and the manager of the nursery. The purpose of the meting was, to ask us to take our daughter out of the nursery with immediate effect. We were shocked, but pushed the female owner for a reason, ultimately in turned out it was because that morning when dropping our children off I had got chatting with a good friend who also went to the nursery (we were friend way before we started at the nursery). We both had a spare half hour and decided to use the rather luxurious parents room the nursery provide to have a coffee and a chat. We talked about lots of things and one of the things was the events that had been happening at the nursery, how I felt persecuted and didn't now what to do about it as I love the nursery itself and so did my daughter. She also relayed a story about an issue she was unhappy about there.

Well to get to the point and back to the meeting we were in the female owner told us that two member of staff were listening at the closed door to our conversation (I know, can't quite believe that) and that she felt I had bad mouthed the nursery to another mother and that was her reason for terminating immediately. Still can't believe this really.

We have a contract with the nursery that requires 1 months notice by either partly before a child can leave. Now, in the meeting which THEY will be writing up I am sure they will come up with other reasons as well as this but there isn't anything substantial I know. So my question is, what action can I take. There immediate decision not only puts my job at risk because I will have to give no notice that I can't come in on Monday but it seems very cruel to pull my daughter from a nursery where she has made many bonds and I have no idea how I am going to find and settle her into a new full time place so quickly.

Any advice would be much appreciate.

[SecretCermonials]

No point leaving your DD there sounds an unprofessional crappy setting anyway. Did you pay a deposit? You should get this back if so. With hold any fees due until
The return of the deposit if paid. Id imagine you would have a case for not paying fees for the last month in lieu of notice. It depends what you've already paid?

[tasfi26]

I'm expecting my first child and I also own and manage a day nursery.......I actually can't believe this!!!! You have every right to talk to your friends about your concerns.
The fact staff were 'listening in' on your conversation is completely unprofessional.
If I'd overheard a parent/carer voicing their concerns about the care of their child in my nursery, the first thing I'd do is definitely hold a meeting with the parent but to find out what the exact problem is and how we can overcome it to work together for your child. You should never be persecuted for having an opinion.
Regardless of your little one liking it there, it's probably a good thing if you leave in the long run as a nursery that can't value the belief 'Parents as Partners' can't be good for your daughter anyway.
I would definitely voice your concerns to OFSTED....0300 123 1231.....If we'd treated a family like this I'd expect the same thing to happen.

[pickcherries]

Sounds very unfair, they should find out the fact before telling you to withdraw your daughter with immediate effect! Where is the nursery, maybe someone could recommend another nursery on here!

[GinnyG]

Thank you for your comments, they are very much appreciated.

We put our complaint into the nursery as ofsted advised we would need to do before they could act. It's been two weeks now and we've received no reply as yet. I should add nor did we received any official request in writing to remove our daughter or write up of the meeting.

Will keep you posted on what happens next.

We are in the Windsor area.

Thanks

Ginny