A CULTURAL Academy based in The Stow has been severely criticised by Ofsted.

The government watchdog inspected the Efua Sey Cultural Academy Ltd on June 21st.

The report states the following:

“I found that you were not meeting all of the requirements of the Childcare Register and I discussed the reason(s) for this during the visit”.

The academy has been given a series of directives which it has to conform to.

1. Ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm.

2. Ensure that no individual who is unsuitable to work with children has unsupervised access to a child receiving childcare.

3. Ensure the lead practitioner responsible for the safety and welfare of children attends child protection training to enable them to identify and act on any indications that a child may be suffering from harm.

4.Implement effective systems to ensure that the registered person, manager and any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children where childcare is provided (including on a voluntary basis) is suitable to work with children. This must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check through Ofsted where required.

5. Ensure that all staff have suitable skills and experience to care for children and that relevant training is made available where necessary.

6. Ensure that at least one person has successfully completed a qualification at a minimum of level 2 in an area of work
relevant to the childcare, or training in the common core skills.

7. Ensure that children are unable to leave the premises without a person who is caring for children on those premises becoming aware of the child leaving.

8. Ensure that a child is unable to leave the relevant premises unsupervised except where the childcare is open-access childcare, or where the child is aged eight or over and the parent of the child has agreed that they may leave the provision unaccompanied

9. Ensure that no one can enter the relevant premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the relevant premises.

10. Ensure records are kept on the premises detailing: the name, home address and date of birth of each child who is looked after, the name, home address and telephone number of each child’s parent/carer, a daily record of the names of the children and their hours of attendance, and the name, home address and telephone number of every person working on the premises when childcare is provided.

11.Make sure the following information is available to parents: information about the registration system for the Childcare Register and Ofsted’s address
ensure Ofsted are notified of the appointment of a new manager.