Fortress asquith

[Fuschia]

What do people think of this?

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23855842-fortress-nursery-scans-parents-fingerprints-when-they-pick-up-their-children.do

[charlottep]

Personally I think it's totally over the top and further confirms my view that this nursery isn't getting its priorities right. Surely this money should have been invested in improving overall quality and tools that focus on the childrens' development.

[Monkey]

My daughter is at Asquith Peckham Rye which does not have such measures in place, at least not as yet. I am not overly fussed by the whole thing. Finger scanning is a bit OTT but so are the comments from the "experts" that it will be upsetting for the children... I am much more annoyed by the press attention this is getting and I hope the nursery has not gone on to a stupid PR campaign that's backfired...

[EDmummy]

What a ridiculous article and silly measures this nursery is putting in place. The reason given in the article "spate of shootings and stabbings" is no justification for building a fortress. Perhaps if there had been attempted abductions of children in the area or an increase in random attacks (most of those involved in violent crime know the perpetrator)then they would be justified.

Lax security at nurseries my children have been to was the fault of parents (ie., letting in people through the gate without a nusery staff member authorising etc). Are there so many children at this nursery that the care givers do not know the children's parents and guardians? Is there a high turn over of staff? Do the parents and guardians of children at the nursery often get other people to pick up their children. I am really trying to understand why Asquith thinks this is a good use of money.

[ratty]

Really hope Peckham Rye do not go down this road as it is total overkill! Will speak to Deborah tonight when I retrieve my son and heir!

[Princess]

Ratty did you get to speak to Deborah this evening?

[ratty]

Sadly not. Got stuck at work until gone 6 so Mrs Ratty had to retrieve the little cherub!

[ugings]

It just goes to show that you can't believe everything you read in the paper...

Our 3 year old boy goes to this nursery (has done for 18 months). There is no sign of a finger printing entry system. The whole nursery has undergone a refurbishment costing ?80k+ rather than ?80k being spent on a security system. This included redecoration of all rooms, new equipment and a brilliant new outside space. As for the fencing (and I read a comment in another paper about it being 6ft plus security fencing...), it is just ordinary sized garden fencing which replaced some fairly worn out fencing of the same size - Nelly's has exactly the same size fencing! The media coverage has been completely over the top.

EDMummy - there are checks in place for pick ups by non-parents. My wife's father was challenged by the staff when he had to do a pick up (despite him doing it a number of times before) and was made to wait in the office while the staff verified his identity against the authorised pick up list that they have. He is an Ofsted inspector and was pleasntly surprised that they did what they are meant to do as he says so many places do not. There isn't a particularly high turnover of staff in my experience.

Don't get me wrong, Asquith could do some things better like improving communication with parents, but our boy loves it, the staff are attentive to the kids and the refurb is excellent.