Ofsted has issued Bright Horizons – the UK’s third largest nursery chain – with a legal notice over concerns that 69 of its settings are not meeting safeguarding and welfare requirements.

Ofsted is to triple its number of unannounced visits to early years settings to strengthen safeguarding as a BBC investigation suggests a rise in serious incident reporting and in the number of Welfare Requirements Notice (WRN) being given out.

Some nurseries have closed or reduced hours while others are implementing routine changes to keep children and staff cool as temperatures are expected to exceed 37 degrees Celsius.

Early years staff in Leicestershire's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support team are set to take four further days of strike action as a dispute over proposed changes to their employment terms escalates.

Parents will have greater peace of mind as more surprise Ofsted visits, stronger checks and faster action help keep children safe in nurseries.

Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) could be replaced by Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) as part of plans put forward in a Department for Education consultation.