Smartkiddies Childcare (registration until: 09 Feb

Inspection of Smartkiddies Childcare English Martyrs Church Hall, Stead Street, London, Walworth SE17 1BF

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders lack the capacity to improve the quality of education and care. Leaders have taken some action to tackle areas of weakness identified at the last inspection. However, this has been insufficient to address the issues raised. Staff do not always have high expectations for children. Staff lack the knowledge they need to identify concerns and take any action required to promote children's best interests. That said, staff develop positive relationships with children and speak to them kindly. This helps children to settle into their day at nursery. Managers have established a key-person system, but this will take time to embed and prove effective. There have been improvements to the daily routine. Lunchtimes are a positive experience for children, who help to lay tables and serve themselves. They eat healthy food and tidy up when they have finished. This demonstrates children's eagerness to participate and play an active role during their time at the setting.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not develop positive attitudes to learning, and they frequently disengage from the activities provided. This is because staff do not consider children's interests or the resources required to implement their plans successfully. In turn, this affects children's behaviour, and they run around or ask to play games on the electronic tablets. When children play digital games, other children gradually gravitate to the screen. This takes children away from active, stimulating play and opportunities to improve their early communication and social skills.

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need to do better?

n The poorly designed and implemented curriculum does not meet children's needs, although there is a plan in place for daily activities. When organising planned activities, staff often cannot find key resources required for successful outcomes. For example, during a gingerbread decorating activity, there is no icing to stick the decorations to the biscuits. During a painting activity, children become disappointed, as staff can only find orange and brown paint. Concerns about the curriculum and its implementation raised at the last inspection persist. This impacts upon children's engagement and sense of achievement. n Managers and staff cannot always gain access to the system they use to record information about children or the progress they make. This includes access to records that evidence the progress checks staff undertake when children are aged between two and three years. Although the access issues are ongoing,

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need to do better?

managers have not taken steps to address the problem. This causes frustration for staff attempting to review children's progress and plan for their learning. n Children do not get access to daily opportunities for outdoor play. This is a breach to requirements. Children often show a keen interest in extending their physical skills. They run around the room in circles repeatedly and are uninterested in engaging with staff's efforts to encourage them to join activities.

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need to do better?

11 December 2023 This behaviour makes the environment unsafe for children. n Recent changes to the management team by senior leaders are not understood by staff. Leaders have not made new management arrangements clear, which means staff do not know to whom to report concerns. Furthermore, leaders have not considered the availability of managers, which means unqualified and inexperienced staff run the setting until managers arrive. Nevertheless, there is good rapport between managers and staff. When they are on site, managers try to support staff to fulfil their roles. Children see the adults who care for them role model positive interactions with others. n Changes in leadership and management have had an impact upon supervision arrangements. Staff do not get the coaching and support they need to improve their skills, as leaders are focused on the reorganisation of the management team. Leaders have not had the capacity to address concerns about supervision

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need to do better?

raised at the last inspection. Leaders have not been able to apply themselves fully to making the sustained improvement required to improve the setting rapidly and promote children's education to a good level. This means children are not making good progress in their development in preparation for the next stage in their learning. n Managers do not give enough consideration to children's health and welfare to promote their good health and limit the spread of infection. Leaders permit children to attend even when other settings have determined they are too unwell to attend on that day. Staff do not store toothbrushes hygienically, which increases the risk of cross-contamination. This puts children at risk of illness.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff know how to raise concerns with the management team and outside agencies in order to protect children. However, managers do not fully understand their responsibility to provide support, advice and guidance to staff on safeguarding matters. Managers are not confident about the steps they would take if there is an allegation made about a member of staff. Leaders have not taken the action required to address safeguarding concerns raised at the previous inspection. Hygiene practice at the setting and efforts to reduce the spread of illness are not effective.

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Due date

11 December 2023 ensure records are easily accessible and available to ensure the efficient running of the setting 24/01/2024

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Due date

ensure all practitioners have a clear understanding of their roles and that staffing arrangements support the effective management of the setting 24/01/2024

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Due date

ensure supervision arrangements provide support, coaching and training for practitioners, to promote the interests of children and continuous improvement 24/01/2024

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Due date

make sure staff understand the procedures to follow to ensure hygiene requirements are met to prevent cross- contamination and promote children's good health 24/01/2024

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Due date

ensure practitioners with a lead responsibility for child protection can support, advise and guide staff on safeguarding matters. 24/01/2024

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Due date

consider children's individual needs and interests to plan and implement challenging activities that support all children in their learning and development 24/01/2024

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Due date

ensure practitioners review children's progress when they are aged between two and three and provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development in the prime areas 24/01/2024

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Due date

ensure children have access to outdoor activities on a daily basis. 24/01/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2643212 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 10308694 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Smartkiddies Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07802305509 Date of previous inspection 21 June 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Smartkiddies Childcare registered in June 2021. It is situated in the London Borough of Southwark. The setting is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. Funded places are available for two-, three- and four-year- old children. Nine members of staff are employed at the setting. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises with staff and leaders. n The deputy manager, manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager.

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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

11 December 2023 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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