Witty Kiddies Sydenham

Inspection of Witty Kiddies Sydenham Sydenham Lawn Tennis Club, Lawrie Park Road, London SE26 6ET

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and well-being are significantly compromised. The manager does not effectively implement policy and procedures for the safe recruitment and induction of staff. As a result, children receive care from staff members who have not had their suitability checked. Babies and the youngest children do not receive sufficient support for their emotional needs, particularly those who are new to the setting. Information is gathered from parents when their children start , however, staff do not use this to ensure they understand the needs of these children. As such, babies are left to cry for extended periods because staff do not know how best to comfort them.

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The provision is inadequate

Children who are the most confident and draw the attention of staff receive the most support. The staff engage in their play and provide them with some extensions to their learning. For example, when building towers, staff talk about how they can make it taller. In contrast to this, children who do not actively draw staff attention, receive no interaction from them for long periods of time.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite this, children, generally, behave well, and some have formed positive relationships with staff.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum provided for children is weak. The manager understands what she intends children to learn during their time at the setting, however, this is not followed through by staff. Staff working with babies have very limited understanding of these children's individual learning and development needs. This means they are unable to provide a learning environment or purposeful activities that supports learning and development of the youngest children. n The key-person system, particularly for younger children, is ineffective. Staff do not share information with each other that enables them to understand the care and learning needs of the children. For example, when a key person is absent, remaining staff do not have the knowledge or understanding of children to ensure they can comfort them or provide meaningful play opportunities. n Children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are

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need to do better?

not supported well enough. The manager and staff have some understanding of their needs and how to meet them, however, this does not happen in practice. Staff recognise that children enjoy activities, where they can explore different textures. Activities are provided for this, yet staff do not interact with children and leave them at the activity for excessive lengths of time. As such, children with SEND do not receive the targeted support that staff and the manager know they require. n Support for most children's communication and language development is weak.

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need to do better?

6 December 2021 Especially for children who have English as an additional language (EAL). Staff do not promote children's speaking skills well enough, nor do they role model language to children with EAL. For example, during nappy changes for these children, staff expect the children to lay still and hold onto books. They do not use any language or gestures with the children to promote their communication and language development, or to understand what is currently happening to them. n Staff do not pay close enough attention to children when using the nappy changing units. They become distracted by what is happening around them and regularly shift their attention away from children whose nappy they are changing. Children wave around resources they have been given, resulting in them rolling around on the changing unit. This poses a significant risk of children falling and suffering an injury. n Children's safety is placed at further risk because the learning environment is not

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need to do better?

thoroughly risk assessed. In the garden, the artificial grass is not appropriately fastened down, causing a high number of trip hazards. As children ride scooters around the garden, the wheels become trapped in the loose edges of the grass, causing them to fall. Inside, the gate between the indoor learning areas is not sufficiently secured, as such it regularly comes loose and has to be removed. This exposes children to risk of injury because the gate is propped against other equipment and falls over when children move past it. n The manager has not recognised the weaknesses in staff performance; therefore, she has not taken action to improve this. The manager discusses that staff receive regular guidance and training for their professional development. For instance, working with children with SEND and EAL and working with babies. The manager is unaware that development opportunities provided have been

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need to do better?

insufficient in developing staff practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff do not all have sufficient knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection. The manager allows staff who have not had an appropriate induction to the setting's safeguarding procedures to work with children. Some staff are able to recognise when children are at risk of abuse and how to report this. Whereas, other staff do not know about making referrals to the local authority in the absence of their manager. Staff lack the knowledge of how to keep children safe. They do not effectively risk assess the learning environment. This means they are ill-equipped to teach children how to keep themselves safe in the setting. In addition, some staff demonstrate unsafe practice when changing children's nappies at the changing unit, putting children at further risk of harm.

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Due date

ensure procedures for safer staff recruitment are followed 20/01/2022

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Due date

improve staff knowledge of their roles and responsibilities, including their understanding of safeguarding practises and how to keep children safe 20/01/2022

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Due date

ensure children are appropriately supervised, with particular regard to when using nappy changing units 20/01/2022

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Due date

implement effective procedures for recognising risks to children in the learning environment 20/01/2022

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Due date

put in place an effective system to identify and remove risk in the environment 20/01/2022

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Due date

improve the key-person system to ensure that children's needs are met in the absence of their key person 20/01/2022

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Due date

ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language receive equal learning and development opportunities as all other children. 20/01/2022

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Due date

ensure staff have enough understanding of children's learning and development needs to be able to plan purposeful opportunities for all children 20/01/2022

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Due date

6 December 2021 improve staff teaching to ensure that all children receive quality interactions and experiences that effectively support their communication and language development. 20/01/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY535903 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 10213692 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Witty Kiddies Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07496085723 Date of previous inspection 2 February 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Witty Kiddies Sydenham registered in 2016. It is situated in Sydenham in the London Borough of Bromley. The setting opens 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks over the year. The setting is closed in the last week of August, and over the Christmas period. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The provider employs four members of staff. Of these, three hold appropriate childcare qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together. n The inspector observed staff and children at play, speaking to staff at appropriate times. n Children spoke to the inspector about their experiences at the setting. n The manager and inspector held a leadership discussion and reviewed documents relevant to the inspection process.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

6 December 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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