Cute Kids Montessori Nursery School

Inspection of Cute Kids Montessori Nursery School 116 Norwood Road, Herne Hill, London, London SE24 9BB

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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 well-being is compromised due to weaknesses in leadership and management. Staff deployment is ineffective. Staff are often left on their own, caring for children while their colleagues leave the room to change nappies or prepare meals. During these times, staff left supervising the children struggle, due to the number of children they are left to care for. In addition, they do not ensure that they keep children safe. The provider does not take appropriate action to safeguard children. Staff do not have a good enough understanding of what to do should they suspect a child is at risk of harm. This includes what to do if they have a concern about a colleague's behaviour or practice. The provider does not take appropriate steps to verify that people working with children are suitable for their role.

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The provision is inadequate

The curriculum is poorly implemented and does not meet the needs of the children. This includes those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Staff do not know how to support children's emotional well-being or manage their behaviour appropriately. Children quarrel over toys and equipment and become upset but most of the time staff fail to recognise this or appropriately support them. This has a negative impact on children's understanding about their own emotions and behaviours and how they impact on others. Despite these poor practices, most children appear to enjoy their time at the nursery.

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need to do better?

n The designated safeguarding lead of the provision shows a lack of understanding about safeguarding and child protection. She has not considered the impact on the safety of children when leaving a member of staff unsupervised with children whose suitability is in question. Furthermore, she demonstrates a lack of understanding or compliance with the local safeguarding partnership. n The provider lacks understanding of how to check that qualifications are full and relevant to the childcare role. This impacts on how staff are deployed to meet ratio requirements. As a result, staff are unable to meet children's needs. Additionally, children who are hiding go unnoticed by staff. This compromises the children's learning as well as their safety. n The quality of teaching is poor. Staff deployment has a negative impact on the teaching children receive. They do not consider children's interests and abilities

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need to do better?

when implementing the curriculum. Staff are aware of strategies to support children with SEND. However, they do not provide targeted support to challenge children and extend their learning, including when children would benefit from extra help. Staff fail to interact with the children, meaning they are often left to play by themselves.

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need to do better?

12 June 2024 n Parents comment positively on how their children settle at the nursery and their transition to school. Staff use electronic messaging systems to share pictures and daily updates about what children do at the nursery. There are end of term parent meetings to help parents know where their children are in their learning. n Staff know some children's next steps in learning. However, they do not use this information effectively and do not always know the learning intentions of the activities they plan. Children explore the resources contentedly, but some do not engage in purposeful play and learning. Most children soon lose interest in activities and wander away. This has a negative impact on children's attitude towards learning. Children are bored and restless. n Staff do not effectively support children to understand expected behaviours and boundaries to ensure their safety. Children climb on furniture without staff

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need to do better?

noticing immediately. When they become aware, they tell them to get off without any further explanation or providing an alternative. This results in children climbing on the furniture again. This does not support children's learning and understanding about expected behaviours and safety. n Staff follow inappropriate hygiene procedures. They do not support children's good health and learning about personal hygiene. Staff place children on a broken changing mat or cover the broken changing mat with the same blanket to change all children. Furthermore, staff pour water over children's hands before lunch without using any soap for children to wash their hands after play and before they have their meal. This shows that hygiene procedures are poor and children's personal hygiene is not effectively supported. This is a potential risk to children's health and cross infection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

12 June 2024 ensure all staff, including leaders, have a secure understanding of the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures to meet children's welfare needs at all times, especially in the event of an allegation against any individual working with children 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that you take appropriate steps to verify the qualifications of people working with children and that they are suitable for their role 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that all staff receive appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children that continually improves 25/06/2024

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Due date

deploy staff to adequately supervise children, keep them safe, engaged in learning and meet their individual needs 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that there is a named deputy and that the person left in charge is suitable to work with children 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure the total number of staff available to work directly with children meets the staff:child ratio requirements according to the age of children being cared for 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure suitable behaviour management strategies are being used by all staff to ensure this promotes children's emotional well-being 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that facilities for personal and intimate care are clean to help promote the health and safety of children 25/06/2024

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Due date

12 June 2024 implement appropriate health and hygiene procedures to prevent cross infection, and to support the good health of children. 25/06/2024

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Due date

ensure that leaders and staff understand and know how to implement the curriculum effectively. 21/08/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY559721 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 10353754 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 65 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Cute Kids UK Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0203 0162376 Date of previous inspection 30 July 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Cute Kids Montessori Nursery School registered in 2018 and is privately owned. It operates from the ground floor of a converted property in Herne Hill, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 50 weeks of the year. The nursery is open 8am to 6pm daily. The nursery has five staff with qualifications ranging from level 3 to level 6. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the provider about the leadership and management of the nursery. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector.

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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

12 June 2024 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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