Nursery given lowest possible rating after inspectors couldn’t find staff with proper childcare qualifications

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A nursery has been given the worst possible rating by Ofsted after inspectors could not find any staff with appropriate childcare qualifications when they arrived.

Curious Children Day Nursery in Woolwich Road, Greenwich, has been rated “Inadequate” in all areas.

Inspectors said the nursery did not effectively monitor its service, with some staff not holding suitable qualifications.

Leaders were reportedly not able to produce evidence that suitable checks had been carried out for all staff, as records were not easily accessible.

The report said: “Children’s needs are not met well because staff working with children lack the necessary skills, knowledge and experience.

“For example, at the start of the inspection, there is no adult present who holds an approved childcare qualification.”

The report added children played in an outdoor area that was too small for the number of children enrolled and hindered their ability to safely develop physical skills.

The inspector also said in their report: “Staff develop warm relationships with children. They encourage children to socialise appropriately during group activities, such as while playing with bubbles at the water tray. Some staff engage children well during pretend play or during painting activities.”

The nursery will be re-inspected within six months.

A Curious Children Day Nursery spokesman said children at the nursery were “showered with love and care” and felt the latest report was “unfortunate”.

They said staff records were now readily available.

The nursery challenged the report’s findings that children were left “idle”. They said there were nine adults and 12 children in the setting on the day of the inspection, with all staff members having a valid DBS on file from within the last year.

The spokesman said: “Staffing is of great importance to us, even though the sector is encountering a workforce crisis. Because of this, we are investing a lot of resources in training our staff.

“Staff have regular meetings, trainings and appraisals to meet the need our loving children.

“We follow the Ofsted curriculum, and all our staff have experience gained from various nurseries.

“We have noted what Ofsted recommended and all actions will be implemented, as we put our children first above all.”

Pictured top: Curious Children Day Nursery, as seen on Woolwich Road in Greenwich Peninsula (Picture: Google Earth)