Inspectors found ‘staff did not know what children should be learning’ at Rotherhithe nursery

By Robert Firth, local democracy reporter

A nursery has been warned after inspectors found staff didn’t know what children should be learning.

Ofsted said some workers at 5 Steps Community Nursery in Rotherhithe didn’t know how to teach well, seven months after it was judged inadequate in all areas by the education monitor.

Inspectors found kids were held back from improving their communication skills because staff failed to ask questions or comment on what they were doing. As a result of the failings, some children were leaving the nursery unequipped for school.

Ofsted said the nursery requires improvement in all areas following the inspection on February 7. A report published on March 15 reads: “The quality of education is inconsistent. Some staff working with children do not understand what children should be learning or how to teach this effectively. On some occasions, they provide activities without having a clear purpose for what they want the children to learn.

“In addition, they do not always interact effectively with children. For instance, some staff do not always comment on what children are doing and ask effective questions to help extend their vocabulary. As a result, not all children make sufficient progress in their communication and language development.”

A previous inspection in July 2021 blasted 5 Steps for failing to record injuries children arrive at the nursery with. Ofsted said staff didn’t know what to do if they had concerns about a child’s safety or if an allegation was made against a colleague.

The report published in August 2021 reads: “Staff are unclear about the procedures to follow should they have concerns for children’s welfare or in the event of an allegation against a member of staff. The management team does not maintain appropriate records of injuries that children arrive with. Staff do not have up-to-date knowledge of wider safeguarding matters.”

In the recent inspection, Ofsted praised the nursery’s managers for addressing shortcomings in children’s safety that were raised by the education regulator in 2021.

The March 15 report reads: “Staff have attended safeguarding training to help address gaps in their knowledge and understanding of child protection. They have a suitable understanding of the nursery’s safeguarding policy, including how to raise concerns about a child’s welfare. The managers understand the procedures they need to follow if an allegation is made against a staff member.”

5 Steps Community Nursery looks after 16 children aged 0 to four but it has room for double that many kids. It opened in 2007.

In a letter sent to parents following the release of the Ofsted report on March 15, managers Lyndsey Craig and Jean Williams said the nursery was on-track to get a ‘good’ rating in the future.

The letter reads: “The Inspector was very impressed with the improvements made since our last inspection, as staff’s safeguarding knowledge was excellent. She could see all of the hard work we had put in collectively on improving this over the last six months.

“Unfortunately, timing was against us, as a New Early Years Foundation Stage
Framework just came into effect in September 2021. This included new guidance that changed the structure that Nurseries follow. We now have to devise our own curriculum, which we are in the process of developing, and getting our heads around.

“Lots of terminology used has changed and this has impacted on how we are viewed as practitioners. In the new framework, we are encouraged to see ourselves as ‘teachers,’ and there are fewer requirements for paperwork giving us more time with the children. These are all welcomed positives.

“The inspector graded us as requires improvement with only two actions to work on. We have devised an action plan and Susie from Lewisham Early Years will continue to work with us. Our report mentions lots of positives and we will continue to work towards a ‘good’ rating.”