Petition Require Ofsted or DFE to hold and show full Company Name and Number history for registered nurseries and other early years childcare providers

In simple terms, the assets and ownership of a nursery transfers from the first limited company to a second limited company. This forces a new entry to appear on the Ofsted register, wiping out any uncomfortable history associated with the nursery.

In extreme cases this practice has been used to cover-up the death and/or injury of children under a nursery's care. This point was covered in Channel 4's Dispatches programme broadcast on Monday 11 February 2013.

This petition requests the Government to urgently require Osfted and/or the Department for Education to hold and show full ownership history of a nursery by keeping records relating to the company name and number for each nursery and registered childcare provider in its register.

Prospective customers should be able to see the ownership history, including dates of any transfers, so they can challenge the provider's history and make informed childcare choices.