Smartkiddies Childcare (registration until: 09 Feb

2026)

Unique reference number (URN): 2643212 Address: English Martyrs Church Hall, Stead Street, London, Walworth, SE17 1BF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 18/06/2021 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Smartkiddies Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Although some children develop early knowledge, such as recognising numbers or singing the alphabet song, many do not make the progress expected for their age. Curriculum planning and teaching are not sufficiently focused on developing the skills needed for later learning. Children's communication and language progress is particularly limited. Staff do not consistently model language, extend vocabulary or introduce new concepts during play. This means children do not get the support they need to express themselves, engage socially and build understanding.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those who face barriers to learning do not achieve well from their starting points. Delays in key processes, such as education, health and care plan applications and referrals, mean these children do not access timely support. As a result, they struggle to participate in learning and daily routines. Many children are not well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including the transition to school. They have not secured the essential knowledge, habits and confidence needed to thrive.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Leaders have not established a consistent or positive environment with clear expectations for behaviour. Behaviour systems are used inconsistently and are not understood by all practitioners or children. As a result, children are often unsure of what is expected of them during learning and daily routines. Visual behaviour charts are not applied reliably, and staff do not always adapt them for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, which makes them ineffective. While children's attendance is consistent, staff do not adequately support parents when it is time for children to move to the next stage in their learning, including starting school. Relationships between practitioners and children are positive. Children approach familiar adults for comfort and support, and staff respond with care. However, practitioners lack the skill and time to help children cooperate, share or resolve conflicts. For example, children

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

frequently struggle over resources without being supported to negotiate or develop self- regulation skills. Routines, such as transitions to lunch or carpet time, are lengthy and poorly organised, leading to frustration for many children, especially those with additional needs. Staff do not consistently consider children's individual needs or stages of development when helping them meet expectations. These weaknesses affect children's confidence, wellbeing and attitudes to learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Although children form positive relationships with familiar adults, weaknesses in leadership and daily routines mean children's individual welfare needs are not consistently met. The key-person system is not embedded securely. Some staff are unsure which children they are responsible for, which limits their ability to tailor care and respond to children who need additional support. This particularly affects children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Care routines, such as handwashing, feeding and transitions, are inconsistently managed. For example, children were observed eating without washing their hands, despite concerns about hygiene raised in previous inspections. Mealtime routines are long and poorly organised, with limited focus on developing independence or social skills. Leaders have not ensured staff prioritise children's physical, personal and emotional development. As a result, children are not consistently supported to recognise or regulate their emotions, cooperate with peers or manage daily transitions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders have not created a culture that places high expectations on children's welfare or embeds healthy habits related to physical activity, food or oral health. Overall, leaders' actions have not ensured that every child's wellbeing is promoted effectively across the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not developed a sufficiently ambitious or well-sequenced curriculum that supports children to secure the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed. Although leaders have begun to explore new learning resources, they have not yet trained staff to understand how to use them or how the curriculum should build over time. This means that everyday teaching lacks clear purpose. Activities are often adult-led and provide limited opportunity for children to explore, practise or extend their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Staff introduce early literacy and mathematics through alphabet songs and simple number recognition. These are taught in isolation rather than as part of a broader curriculum that develops children's language, vocabulary and mathematical thinking. While staff are caring, they do not consistently model language or ask questions that encourage thinking and communication.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning are not supported well. Activities are rarely adapted to meet different levels of need, and staff do not use assessment effectively to check what children know or to tailor teaching. The curriculum does not prioritise personal, social and emotional development effectively, leaving many children without the support they need to engage meaningfully in their learning.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Children who need additional help at this setting are not consistently identified in a timely way. This means some children do not receive the support they need to make progress. Although staff notice when children may have emerging needs, leaders do not ensure that assessments lead to swift or effective intervention. Children often wander without purposeful engagement or tailored support, limiting their ability to participate fully in the curriculum and daily routines.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders have not created an inclusive culture that prioritises children's individual needs. Key processes intended to reduce barriers, such as education, health and care plan applications and school admission support, are poorly monitored and significantly delayed. As a result, children with high needs miss out on essential services that would support their learning and wellbeing. Leaders do not check the impact of strategies or adapt provision based on children's progress over time.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Staff have not received the necessary training or resources to deliver effective teaching, although there are future plans to address this. While some links with external agencies are in place, leaders do not sustain these partnerships or use them effectively to support children's learning. There are currently no children benefiting from any early education funding they may be entitled to in order to support their early learning.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have not secured sufficient improvement across key aspects of education and care since the last inspection. Significant weaknesses in curriculum planning, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) processes, daily routines and inclusive practice remain. Leaders' decisions do not consistently place disadvantaged children and those with SEND at the centre of improvement work. For example, the lack of a deputy manager and limited presence of the nominated individual add pressure to staff workloads. Staff struggle to meet children's needs consistently. Leaders have recently purchased new resources, but these have not been accessed because leaders say staff have not received appropriate training.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Workloads and wellbeing are not managed effectively. Missed SEND panels, delays in education, health and care plan applications and inconsistent partnership working with external agencies limit children's access to essential support. This is further compromised because leaders cannot access critical records, such as progress reports, when required. Leaders do not ensure that staff review all children's progress when they are aged between 2 and 3 and provide parents with a summary. Although leaders recognise some of their weaknesses and have begun to plan changes, the pace of improvement has been too slow to secure better outcomes for children and ensure they are making progress in their learning. Leaders acknowledge that the setting has faced repeated challenges. They have taken some positive steps to strengthen safeguarding arrangements and staff training. Staff report that safeguarding is now prioritised and that they receive regular quizzes and supervision

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

discussions to test their safeguarding knowledge. These actions have helped to build a more open safeguarding culture and have reduced safeguarding breaches seen at previous inspections. However, staff supervision is not driving improvements in teaching to support children's learning.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not consistently experience a curriculum that helps them achieve well at this setting. Teaching does not always build on what children already know and can do. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), spend long periods wandering aimlessly or repeating simple tasks that do not build on their understanding. Staff do not consistently extend children's language, thinking or independence. This limits children's progress and readiness for school. Some children are beginning to learn early number and letter recognition through songs and puzzles, but these experiences are not part of a planned, sequenced curriculum that supports deeper learning.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive happily and separate from their parents with confidence. They seek reassurance from familiar staff, who respond with warmth and care. Children enjoy exploring the playrooms and choose from a range of toys, often returning to the home corner or small- world area where they feel most comfortable. Children build friendships and show affection for one another. These relationships help children feel that they belong.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children with SEND are welcomed, but delays in accessing specialist support mean they cannot fully participate in learning or daily routines. They are not helped well enough to develop self-regulation, communication or self-care skills. Children are encouraged to be polite and kind, and staff gently remind them to share toys, though limited support means conflicts are often unresolved. Routines such as transitions and mealtimes are lengthy and disorganised. This causes frustration for many children, and they disengage. Children feel emotionally safe and cared for but do not benefit from the challenge and support they need to further their learning. Leaders value children and are beginning to plan improvements; however, the pace of change is too slow to secure the ambitious, inclusive environment children need to flourish.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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that directly improve staff teaching practice

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, leaders and staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

English Martyrs Church Hall Stead Street London Walworth SE17 1BF

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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