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village hall, is vehemently contesting the verdict by the Government watchdog, which claimed that chil- drenwere not protected effectively. The school – rated outstanding in


Pre-school disputes Ofsted rating Mother defends pictures


2009 – was criticised for allowing staff to use mo- bile phones to take photos of children. The pre-school says the photos are sent out to par- ents to provide reassurance and


only by staff on the rare occasions of manager Cindy Fox’s absence. Inspector Amanda Vidler wrote:


“The provider/manager lacks un- derstanding of the risks this presents to children and does not monitor the use of mobile phones effectively to monitor children’s safety.” Cindy’s husband Steve (pictured), administration manager for the pre- school, said: “On the day of the visit there was no use of mobile phones and the taking of pictures was not witnessed by the inspector. “The comments in the report do


not reflect Cherubs’ policies.” Other less severe criticisms from


Ofsted included children not having enough time to respond to questions and the organisation of outdoor playtimes sometimes leaving chil- dren waiting before they can begin to play and learn. However, the quality of teaching, learning and as- sessment was rated good, as were outcomes for children. The safety concern over mobile-


phone photographs was the main reason for the lowest rating of inad- equate and the pre-school is confi- dent it can get this overturned on appeal after parents sent Ofsted a flurry of supportive letters. The pre-school says the mobile-


phone photographs policy, for which all parents sign consent forms, has been in place for the past 12 years – so for all previous Ofsted inspections. Guidance on Ofsted’s website


said: “Mobile phonesmaybe used in settings, as long as their use is ap- propriate.” It added that they can be helpful in ensuring children are safe. Steve said: “This became an issue


when a parent highlighted this process as a positive. It is written very clearly in our mobile phone policy which all parents sign to say they have read and agree.”


ITEMS were stolen from a vehicle in Oak Lane, Headcorn. Damagewas caused during a break-in at a compound in Vale Road, Loose. Trainers and CDswere taken from a vehicle


in Hampstead Lane, Yalding. A shop signwas stolen fromWierton Road, Boughton Monchelsea. A snackwagon parked on the grounds at


the lakes in Collier Streetwas broken into but nothingwas taken. Thewingmirror of a car parked in The Cockpit, Mardenwas damaged. A tyrewas damaged on a car parked on a


driveway in theHigh Street, Yalding. The door of a vehiclewas damaged in a bid


to gain entry in Chantry road, Marden. A Toyota Yariswas scratched in Chestnut


Avenue, Staplehurst. A bagwas stolen from an unlocked van in


Howland Road, Marden. Therewas an attempted break-in at a home


in Maidstone Road, Staplehurst. The offender was disturbed by the occupant and ran off. Awacker platewas among items stolen


from a flat bed lorry in Ulcombe Road, Lang- ley. A vehiclewas broken into in a car park in


Lodge Road, Staplehurst. Dieselwas syphoned from the tank of an


Isuzu truck in New Road, Langley.However, the attemptwas abandoned and the partially- full containerwas left behind. A home inHanover Road, Coxheath was


broken into but nothing appeared to have been taken. Equipmentwas set alight in Boyton Court


Road, Sutton Valence. Fencingwas damaged at a plant nursery in


24 Maidstone South December 2015


LORRAINE Tippett, whose daugh- ter attended Cherubs for two years prior to beginning primary school in September, said the verdict was a “travesty”, citing the “safe, caring and happy environment” for chil- dren. She added: “My daughter had


never been into nursery or away frommyself, so I was expecting the first couple of weeks to be upset- ting for us both, but this wasn’t the case due to the unbelievable kind- ness and wealth of knowledge held by Cindy Fox, the manager and her entire talented team. “We signed a consent form giv-


ing staff permission to send me photographic evidence on how my daughter was progressing in her


PARENTS have defended a Linton pre-school for allowing staff to send out mobile phone photographs of youngsters after the policy resulted in an inadequate Ofsted rating. Cherubs Pre-School, based in the


day if she had a shaky start in the morning. “Those photos were priceless and


very much welcomed to me as a mum waiting at home for news on how she was, and I thanked them every day for that little bit of well- needed contact. “Cherubs became a home away


from home for our daughter and she would always come home happy, healthy and excited to tell us all about what she had done that day at nursery, which was a delight to hear. “To stand by your inadequate rat-


ing of this pre-school is indeed call- ing myself inadequate as a parent as I chose to send my daughter there for nearly two years.”


What do you think of policy? DOyou agree with Cherubs’ policy on taking photographs of chil- dren on mobile phones and sending them to parents?Are you a par- ent who sends your child to Cherubs or another pre-school with a similar policy? Email the editor on stephen@downsmail.co.uk.


NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police


Sutton Road, Langley in a bid to gain entry. Nothing seemed to bemissing. An outbuilding at a farm in Forsham Lane,


Sutton Valencewasbrokenintoand achain- saw and a grinderwere stolen. A Ford Transit van parked in Bottlescrew


Hill, Boughton Monchelseawas broken into and awallet stolen. A vanwas broken into in Chart Corner,


Chart Sutton and itemswere stolen. Itemswere stolen during a break-in at an outbuilding in Forge Lane, East Farleigh. Paintwas poured over a vehicle inWester-


hill Road, Coxheath, damaging the bodywork. Damagewas caused to a property in Linton


Road, Loose. Itemswere stolen during a break-in at a


home in Pippin Close, Coxheath. Itemswere taken from a car in Headcorn


Road, Staplehurst. Barbed wire fencingwas damaged at a farm


in Dean Street, East Farleigh. Two trees in potswere stolen from the front


garden of a home inHeadcorn Road, Boughton Malherbe. Three men in a vanwere seen in the vicinity. A bikewas stolen in a break-in at a property


in Chestnut Close, Ulcombe. Jewellery, an iPod and anAppleMac laptop


were stolen from a home in Loose Valley. A vehicle battery and a quantity of diesel was stolen from a JCB digger parked at the


edge of a field in Green Lane, Collier Street. A portable toiletwas taken from a garden in Sheephurst Lane, Marden. A Renault Scenic parked on a driveway in


Cleavesland, Yalding had two tyres slashed. Thiswas a repeat offence. Awhite 60-registration Vauxhall Corsawas


stolen from a car park in Bishops Close, Net- tlestead. A small orange compact Zen-Noh agricul-


tural tractorwas stolen from a farm in Yalding Hill, Yalding. A beige series 3 Land Roverwas stolen from


a car park in Lodge Road, Staplehurst. A boatwas stolen from itsmooring in Lees


Road, Yalding. Itemswere stolen from a building inNorth


Street, Sutton Valence. A vehiclewas stolen from KnowlesWalk, Staplehurst. An outbuildingwas broken into in Tumblers Hill, Sutton Valence.


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