Peckham nursery hit back after being rated inadequate by Ofsted

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

A nursery has hit back at Ofsted after it claims it was rated inadequate for holding kids’ hands on the way to the toilet.

Inspectors reported that workers at K&O Childcare in Sumner Road, Peckham needlessly moved children instead of teaching them how to behave.

The nursery was rated inadequate in all areas by inspectors following a visit on February 7.

But K&O Childcare’s manager, June Savory, said the report was unfair and rejected its claims that children could be injured by staff.

Ms Savory said workers simply held kids’ hands to guide them to the toilets and said toddlers would otherwise wet themselves.

Ofsted has since said they fixed all issues raised in its original report and was happy proper safety measures and training were in place.

The Ofsted report published on March 23 said: “Leaders do not ensure that staff use effective strategies to support children in managing their behaviour.

“There are too many occasions when staff physically move children and handle children unnecessarily rather than teaching them how to manage their behaviour. This puts children at risk of unintentional injury or harm by adults.

“Staff do not plan activities with a clear purpose to meet the next steps of individual children.

“Quiet children sometimes receive little attention and are too often unnoticed by staff. Therefore, children are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning, such as starting school.”

Ms Savory, said: “If holding a child’s hand to support them to the bathroom is putting them in danger then I’m going to have every child wet themselves. Then I need to explain to the parent that okay we can’t hold the child’s hands no more to guide them to the toilet so if they don’t want to come at that time they’re going to have to wet themselves.”

Ms Savory claimed “staff” mentioned in parts of the report were actually students on work experience.

Referring to the inspector, she said: “You’ve observed a student and you’ve classed her as a normal practitioner. She’s a student that’s joined us two weeks ago. She’s training. If practitioners don’t get experience, where do they learn?”

Ms Savory appealed the draft report but Ofsted rejected the complaint and said the judgement reached by the inspector was correct.

Following the visit, Ofsted issued K&O Childcare with a list of six steps it must take to improve, including ensuring all staff are suitable to work with children.

The education regulator said these standards had since been met.

Inspectors originally praised the nursery for developing babies’ vocabulary.

The Ofsted report said: “In the baby room, staff support children in developing their communication and language skills. They repeat words to them, such as ‘up’ when babies climb up steps.

They also comment on what the babies are doing as they play. This helps them to build their vocabulary.”

Ms Savory said she had appealed the published report.

K&O Childcare was rated good the last time an inspector visited in December 2016.

Ofsted said the reasons for the inadequate rating were set out in its report published on March 23.

It refused to provide further comment.

 

Pictured: K&O Childcare, Peckham