A Frinton pre-school plans a relaunch after its management committee refused to comply with government legislation.

The Frinton Community Association Preschool Group has operated for 30 years but recently on its website announced its closure from July.

Now, it is seeking new premises away from its current Soken House location so the pre-school can continue under new management.

Last month, the three-member Frinton Community Association Management Committee called a meeting where pre-school staff were told that committee members were “not willing to meet the new Ofsted registration requirements.”

“All committee members are now required to have DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) checks,” said a letter sent to parents last month.

“They are refusing to do this as they feel it would be an infringement of their privacy,” it continued.

The pre-school announced its planned closure on its website but its manager Amanda Smith says parents, staff and the wider community are keen to see it continue.

The issue of declaring backgrounds has affected the pre-school’s latest government Ofsted report, published last week, which saw a downgrading from ’good’ to ‘requires improvement.’

The report said the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the centre requires improvement as “staff do not have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the new legislation in relation to safeguarding.”

“This means that staff have failed to consider all the factors in a child’s home life or elsewhere that may alert them to a concern.”

The report also said: “Due to weaknesses relating to safeguarding, children’s welfare is potentially compromised.”

However, Ofsted said the pre-school was “good” for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment; and “good” for outcomes for children.

“The manager is ambitious for the success of the setting. Staff work well together and share an enthusiasm for their role,” said their report.

“Staff are well qualified and use their teaching skills to motivate children to learn. They plan challenging activities that support children’s good progresses,” it continued.

“Children make good progress from their starting points and develop key skills for future learning and moving on to school,” it added.

Mrs Smith confirmed the latest Ofsted requirements and the issue with the committee had affected its grading.

“The inspector was impressed with the pre-school and the work we have done,” she said.

Mrs Smith said all her staff had passed DBS clearance and had or were updating themselves with the latest legislation.

“We are looking for new premises because we would like to keep going. All our parents are supportive. They want us to stay open. The pre-school has been here for 30 years but the management committee don’t want us here,” she said.

“The pre-school is up and running. We are contacting different people to find a new venue. We plan to continue under new management. We are trying to sort things out.”  

Anyone with suitable premises can contact Amanda Smith on 01255 851793