Witty Kiddies Sydenham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Overall, staff provide a warm and welcoming learning environment. However, staff do not consistently take into consideration the abilities of children for the activities they provide. On arrival, children go straight into circle time that takes too long, and they become restless.

Some activities within the circle time also do not allow children to learn from them. For example, staff ask children to count from one to 20. Children are quiet as staff clap and count.

This does not help to support children's emerging mathematical development as the activity is beyond their learning capabilities.Staff do support children with s...pecial educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with parents, carers and other agencies to make referrals as soon as they can and set targets to work towards.

Staff work with local authority staff to support the learning environment for children with SEND. Staff nurture children's independence. Children learn how to self-serve their own meals and snacks.

They develop their small muscle development, as well as learning the importance of turn-taking and portion control. This helps to support their next steps in their learning and subsequent move on to school.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders do not adequately assess the quality of education and staff's deployment.

Staff are not consistently deployed effectively in order to meet children's individual needs. For example, staff in the baby room, at the time of the inspection, do not have enough training to support babies' individual needs. Staff do not always support babies when they have bottles.

They do not provide eye contact and, at times, use bouncy chairs that are not age-appropriate for babies to use as they drink their milk.Staff do not consistently support children's language development as best as they could. They do not make the most of some resources they have been given, such as routine timeline cards to help children with language delay and who speak English as an additional language.

The language they use also does not help most-able children to learn new words.Leaders have a clear vision for what they wish children to learn. However, this is not always implemented by staff.

There are inconsistencies with the implementation of the curriculum and activities. For example, staff give children worksheets to colour in and trace, which does not support children's learning.Staff provide lots of cuddles of reassurance for children and babies.

Once children are settled, they happily leave staff to go and explore. This helps to support children's social and emotional development.Overall, staff have warm relationships with children.

They know children well, which helps them to form secure attachments. It was identified to the manager during the inspection that staff's deployment to further secure these attachments was not as effective as they could be. She immediately made changes to make improvements for this, especially with babies.

Parents explain how they appreciate staff speaking their home languages to help the settling-in process. They like that staff know their children and help parents to support children at home, by giving suggestions of activities to carry out to help with their learning.Staff generally talk kindly to older children.

Children are confident to ask for help, for example when getting ready to go and play outside. Staff support children to learn how to put on their own shoes. Staff praise them well for doing this, helping to boost children's self-esteem and confidence.

Children enjoy exploring messy activities. Staff set out a variety of activities for children to self-select. Children enjoy mixing different coloured paints together to see what happens as they mix.

They also take an interest in play dough. Children learn how to use resources, such as cutters and rollers, to make different shapes. This helps to support children's small muscle development.

Leaders have a positive attitude towards change and working with others to implement this. At the time of inspection, leaders held discussions with staff after completing a joint observation. This helped to improve their practice and support children's individual needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date improve the assessment of staff's practice to help to identify staff's key strengths and where they are most effectively deployed to meet children's individual needs 21/03/2025 teach staff the importance of using age-appropriate language to support children's communication development 21/03/2025 ensure that activities are age-appropriate for children to enhance their learning and development.

21/03/2025