Nursery leaders have “failed to ensure the requirements of the early years foundation stage are met”, according to Ofsted
A North London nursery does not meet the necessary safeguarding standards meaning children are not adequately protected from harm, according to a recent Ofsted report. Inspectors found “urgent improvements” are needed to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing.
Following an inspection in April, the education watchdog found kids attending Canopy Children’s Nursery in Wembley, Brent, “do not experience a consistently purposeful or safe environment”. The nursery, located on Walters Walk in Wembley Park, provides daytime child care to 76 children between the ages of zero and four.
The leadership team were criticised for not ensuring that there is “an open and positive culture” around safeguarding that “adequately protects children from harm”. Whilst staff are said to be “keen to get things right and support children well”, the report also found that they remain unfamiliar with safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures to keep children safe.
Ineffective routines and low expectations for children’s behaviour are said to “adversely impact” their ability to retain positive attitudes and develop respect for one another, according to the report. Staff are not equipped with the skills needed to tackle unwanted behaviour or reinforce the rules, meaning children fail to manage their impulses.
When young children chase one another indoors, inspectors noted that staff “do not effectively address this” to teach children the expected behaviour. When initial attempts are unsuccessful they “do not persist with supporting children to learn how to behave in line with their expectations”.
Babies are also sad to “become unsettled” as they spend too long waiting for staff to manage simple routines, such as preparing sleep and lunchtimes. Children who face barriers to their learning “do not receive consistent support to understand rules or routines”, according to Ofsted.
The leadership team were strongly criticised for failing to ensure staff “remain vigilant to children in the environment” and, whilst staff complete safety checklists, they “do not understand how to assess risks to children’s safety effectively enough to identify and remove all possible hazards swiftly”.
Inspectors further hit out at the leadership team for not gathering sufficient information about vulnerable children when they first begin nursery, resulting in staff being unaware of important information they may need to support children’s individual needs. They were also criticised for not sharing updated information about children’s changing needs to help staff establish the support required, meaning children with special educational needs are not ensured to receive the level required to progress.
The report adds: “Leaders have failed to ensure the requirements of the early years foundation stage are met. They continue to not meet requirements relating to children’s safety, wellbeing and learning. Weaknesses in monitoring mean leaders do not have rigorous oversight of the provision.”
Conversely, children enjoy freshly prepared meals and snacks throughout the day to support their health and the outdoor area is used so the kids can “develop their physical skills, expend their energy and learn to keep healthy”.
The report also noted that staff share “warm, positive relationships” with children and are keen to “get things right” and support children well. The leaders were also said to have “clear knowledge” of the local community and, overall, parents report that their children “enjoy attending and appreciate staff”.
Canopy Children’s Nursery told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the welfare, safety and wellbeing of children in their care “is, and always will be, our highest priority”. The provider acknowledged the areas where improvements were required following the inspection and “immediately began implementing a comprehensive plan of action”, including enhanced safeguarding training, improved staff supervision, strengthened risk assessment processes and further support for children with additional needs.
The nursery added that every action identified within the Welfare Requirements Notice “has now been completed and successfully signed off”, following a subsequent visit from Ofsted’s Regulatory Inspector. The operator also closed the nursery for a week to allow staff to participate in an intensive programme of training and development to ensure staff had “the knowledge, confidence and support needed to deliver the highest standards of care”.
A spokesperson for the nursery said: “Whilst we fully accept the concerns identified during the inspection in April, it is important to recognise that significant progress has been made since that time. The nursery today reflects the extensive work undertaken by our team over recent months, and these improvements have been independently verified through Ofsted’s regulatory process.
“We remain committed to providing a safe, nurturing and high-quality environment for every child and to continually improving the service we provide. Our next inspection is expected shortly, and we believe the substantial improvements made over recent months place the nursery in a strong position.
“We would like to thank our families, staff and the wider community for their continued support throughout this process. Our focus remains, as it always has been, on providing the very best care and education for the children entrusted to us.”
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