A nursery has had its licence suspended while safeguarding concerns are investigated by the police and local council.
Ofsted sent parents of children attending Green Cave Nursery, of Vale Road in Tunbridge Wells, a letter informing them of the suspension last month.
The nursery, for children aged three months to three years, opened in 2012, and a pre-school for older children was opened in the Great Hall Arcade in September last year. Both have been temporarily closed.
The letter, dated June 16 and seen by KentOnline, explained how the education provider would be closed immediately for six weeks, until July 27.
It said: “We are taking this step because we reasonably believe that the continued provision of childcare may expose children to a risk of harm.”
Ofsted explained how this belief stemmed from information provided by the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), which confirms that “significant” safeguarding concerns were not dealt with in line with the procedures.
The report said: “As the registered provider, we are concerned about your oversight of the management of the setting, as you have failed to recognise that serious safeguarding concerns were not acted upon in line with local safeguarding partners’ procedures.
“In addition, we are concerned about your attitude towards these concerns once they were brought to your attention, and that you have failed to notify Ofsted of these significant concerns.
“This information is currently being investigated by involved agencies which include the police and children’s social care.”
Ofsted will explore the nursery’s compliance with the safeguarding and welfare requirements once the other agencies have completed their investigations.
The regulator also said the suspension was to allow time for inquiries to be carried out and it could be lifted if it was “satisfied that the threshold for suspension is no longer met.”
“Suspension does not automatically mean that you will be unsuitable to provide care in the future,” Ofsted added.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, explained how she had withdrawn her child because she no longer felt confident it provided a safe setting for her child.
She said: “Since the Ofsted suspension, the nursery has not fulfilled its duty of care in maintaining transparent and timely communication with parents.
“There have been no comprehensive updates, but several parents have been told that the newly appointed nursery management team has resigned following the suspension.
“This lack of communication and clarity is deeply concerning.”
The mother also explained how the suspension had put parents in a “challenging” position as they seek alternative childcare arrangements and navigate the transfer of early years funding.
She continued: “Parents entrust nurseries with the most precious responsibility, their children’s safety and development, and this trust must be honoured with the highest standards of care, transparency, and communication.
“Unfortunately, many of us feel that Green Cave Nursery and Montessori Preschool can no longer provide this.”
In response, Denes Gal, the nursery owner, explained how he is unable to share further information with parents as per advice from the police and the LADO, to ensure he does not interfere with their investigations.
He said: “I have three children myself and as a parent I would also freak out if my child’s nursery would be closed down by Ofsted with immediate effect. The parents deserve to get answers.”
He explained the online platform used by the nursery had suspended the subscription and licence after he notified the provider of the suspension.
The nursery owner explained how he had submitted the paperwork to the authorities when he became aware that a safeguarding concern had not been reported in line with protocol.
He said: “In less than a week my Childcare Registration was suspended on a temporary, preventative basis until they investigate this case. According to them it is not a punishment, it is a standard procedure.
“I opened the nursery in 2012, and we always received amazing reviews. We were voted to be in the Top 20 nurseries in southeast Kent.
“In the last year-and-a-half, hundreds of thousands of pounds were invested into opening a second location, a Montessori Preschool.
“The safety of the children was always my highest priority; I never tolerated any behaviour which would have put children at any kind of risk.
“All policies, procedures were in place, and I always made sure that the management had the highest qualifications possible.”
The police said it was made aware of safeguarding concerns at an education setting in Tunbridge Wells, on 12 June 2025.
A spokesperson said: “Officers are conducting initial enquiries to establish the circumstances.”
Kent County Council declined to comment on the matter while it is with the police.
The Department for Education has been contacted for more information.
Regarding nursery fees, Denes explained how most of the payments come through the government’s Tax Free Childcare system, which has been suspended in line with the Ofsted suspension.
He said: “Since we were closed down on the June 16, and we normally send out invoices on the 17th of each month, no invoice was sent to the parents for July. Therefore, the affected period is the last 13 days of June.
“I am not sure in situations like this who will be responsible to compensate us and the parents for the financial loss the suspension caused.”
