Ofsted inspectors found that The Barnes Village Nursery in South West London hired staff without completing all required background checks, placing children at significant risk of harm. The independent nursery, located in Barnes, allowed some staff to begin working with children before all suitability checks, including references, were completed, particularly when leaders personally knew the applicants.
Leadership and safeguarding failures identified
The new Ofsted report stated that leaders at the nursery had not ensured an open and positive culture around safeguarding. While some controls were in place, such as never leaving staff who had not undergone all suitability checks alone with children, inspectors concluded that these measures did not eliminate the risk.
Following an inspection on July 2, the nursery was told its leadership required urgent improvement. Its performance across achievement, behaviour and attitudes, children's welfare, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion also required attention.
Behavioural and curriculum concerns
Inspectors noted that younger children with allergies were seated separately from the rest of the group at mealtimes for safety, but this could make them feel singled out. Staff did not set clear enough behavioural expectations, with some children observed running indoors, throwing items, and stealing food from others' bowls.
Children's achievement was inconsistent across groups due to varying support. Staff did not always provide younger children with purposeful learning experiences. During storytime, younger children were disrupted by staff walking through the group, and they were interrupted during other activities to receive care.
Curriculum rollout and SEND support
The report said the rollout of the curriculum was too variable to ensure children fully benefitted. Staff sometimes completed tasks for children when the focus was for them to become independent.
While staff supported children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with one-to-one support and extra resources, this support was not consistent across all ages.
Positive findings and parent feedback
Despite the concerns, inspectors praised staff for understanding how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns, forming positive relationships with children, and comforting those who became upset. Children were able to be physically active and improve their communication skills through reading books, singing songs, and talking.
Parents told inspectors their children were happy at the nursery and praised the "energetic staff."
The report said: "Leaders know what they want to achieve at the setting. However, their plans have not yet had sufficient impact to secure improvements in practice. For example, although staff receive some day-to-day directions from leaders, there is not a secure system in place to closely monitor all staff practice to quickly identify gaps in teaching and drive improvement. Furthermore, professional development is largely limited to mandatory training."
The nursery supports up to 90 children aged from one to four years old. The Barnes Village Nursery declined to comment.
