Ofsted inspectors have found that Canopy Children's Nursery in Wembley, North London, does not meet necessary safeguarding standards, leaving children inadequately protected from harm. The inspection, conducted in April, concluded that "urgent improvements" are required to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.
Inspection findings reveal serious concerns
The nursery, located on Walters Walk in Wembley Park, provides daytime childcare for 76 children aged between zero and four. Inspectors reported that children "do not experience a consistently purposeful or safe environment." The leadership team was criticized for failing to ensure "an open and positive culture" around safeguarding that "adequately protects children from harm."
While staff were described as "keen to get things right and support children well," the report highlighted that they remain unfamiliar with safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. Ineffective routines and low expectations for children's behaviour were said to "adversely impact" their ability to retain positive attitudes and develop respect for one another.
Behaviour and routine management failures
Staff are not equipped with the skills needed to tackle unwanted behaviour or reinforce rules, meaning children fail to manage their impulses. Inspectors noted that when young children chase one another indoors, staff "do not effectively address this" to teach 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 said 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.
Leadership and risk assessment shortcomings
The leadership team was strongly criticized for failing to ensure staff "remain vigilant to children in the environment." Although 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 also 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 needed to support individual needs. They were also criticized for not sharing updated information about children's changing needs, meaning children with special educational needs are not ensured to receive the level required to progress.
Report summary and positive aspects
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."
Nursery's response and corrective actions
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."
