Black Country nursery closed after Ofsted find 'children may be at risk of harm'

A nursery in Wednesbury has been temporarily closed by education inspectors after Ofsted said it “believed children may be at risk of harm”.

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Wonderland Day Nursery, in Holyhead Road, had its registration suspended on October 13, according to a report by Ofsted.

The report, which was published on October 28, said a welfare requirements notice was served as “the provider was not meeting some of the requirements” and the nursery has been told it needs to put a number of actions in place by November 10.

These include ensuring staff understand whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures, making sure all new staff receive appropriate induction support and putting effective arrangements in place for the supervision of staff.

Monitoring attendance effectively and maintaining accurate and organised records were also included in the action plan.

Ofsted said it will monitor the provider's response to ensure the actions are successfully completed.

The report said: “We suspended the provider's registration on 13 October 2026 because we believed children may be at risk of harm.

“Suspension allows time for us or the provider to take steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm to children.

“The provider has a right to appeal against a suspension.

“The provider may not provide childcare for which registration is required while the suspension is in place and may commit an offence if they do so.”

Following the incident, the nursery’s managing director Mala Patel sent a letter to parents saying they understood the news “came as a shock and caused considerable concern and disruption for our families”.

They said the suspension followed an “isolated incident” involving a member of staff and a child, adding that the staff member had been “suspended immediately” and was no longer employed at the nursery.

The letter said: “The suspension followed an isolated incident involving one member of staff and one child.

“The member of staff was suspended immediately, and we followed our policies and procedures by reporting the incident to the local authority and Ofsted.

“Following a thorough investigation and our internal disciplinary process, the individual is no longer employed at the nursery.

“We have remained in contact with the child’s parents throughout. The child returned to nursery following the incident, and the family has expressed their intention to return once our registration is reinstated.”

It said the nursery was now working, with support from the local authority, to complete the actions set out by Ofsted.

The letter continued: “Our policies and procedures are being reviewed, and staff training is being refreshed, with ongoing checks to ensure that knowledge is understood and consistently put into practice.

“The safety and wellbeing of every child remain our highest priority. We recognise that rebuilding confidence requires clear communication and consistent action, and we are committed to both.”