‘Chaotic’ nursery in Greenwich told to improve by Ofsted as children leave feeling ‘frustrated’

An Eltham nursery has been told to improve after it was described as “chaotic” by Ofsted and left young children feeling “frustrated”. Owl and Bear Daycare in Southend Crescent has been warned by the education watchdog in a recent report.

The nursery was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in all areas, including the quality of education provided and its overall management. The inspector said the quality of staff interactions with children varied and their needs were not always met. They added that staff interventions to stop unwanted behavior were inconsistent and not fully understood by children.

The report said: “Staff are redeployed to support rooms where they are unfamiliar with routines and children. Sometimes the rooms become noisy and chaotic, which has an impact on children’s ability to learn.”

The nursery has been praised for having dedicated play areas and activities for each age group. However, the inspector said in their report that these spaces were not always fully accessible to children, with some leaving activities before completing their learning.

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The inspector said in their report: “Staff place tables containing interesting activities against the walls, which limits the number of children who can access them. This restricts children’s learning, leaving them jostling for position and feeling frustrated.” .

The nursery was previously rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in a report published last December after baby bedding was found lying on a dirty floor. However, the recent investigation found that leaders had made progress in addressing areas of significant shortfalls in the last report.

The report said: “Staff are kind and model the behavior they expect from the children in their care. They greet them warmly when they arrive and offer affection when the children are upset or need a hug. This helps children settle well into their day.”

Owl and Bear Daycare was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication. The nursery has space for 100 children and had 48 enrolled at the time of the inspection.

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