Every Child matters - But paperwork matters more!

2.19.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 22nd Sep 2008

In a letter to the Chief Executive of Ofsted Terry James has expressed his anger at the appalling way in which Ofsted act in their regulatory role regarding child care. Kington Children's Centre/ Nursery has had to close, hopefully short term because it hadn't't met all Ofsted's paperwork regulations.

"They have acted in a high handed/Stalinist manner" said Terry James "this has more to do with tick boxes than the safety and well being of children, this is the latest example of parents and children being denied childcare because of arbitrary decisions made by unaccountable quangos and local government.

A mother and toddlers group near Bromyard run by volunteers has had to close because Ofsted decided that the village hall they used wasn't smart enough and there were some nettles at the bottom of the garden. As well as another small childcare operator being reprimanded for not having enough ethnic toys available. These are just two other examples of the dead hand of Ofsted bureaucracy."