A young woman has been charged with 25 counts of child cruelty, actual bodily harm and attempted GBH at an expensive Montessori nursery.
Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, was remanded in custody after police investigated concerns about the welfare of children at Twickenham Green Montessori in London.
She was charged on Wednesday with 12 counts of child cruelty, 12 counts of actual bodily harm and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
The 21-year-old appeared at Wimbledon magistrates’ court on July 25 after the ‘serious allegations’ emerged. It is unclear how many victims were involved.
The prestigious nursery follows the Montessori method of teaching, involving children’s ‘natural interests and activities’ instead of formal practices.
It belongs to the Riverside Nursery Schools group, which says in the prospectus: ‘All children in our care are exposed to a carefully considered atmosphere defined by positivity and kindness.’
Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, was remanded in custody after police investigated concerns about the welfare of children at Twickenham Green Montessori in London (pictured)
Since the investigation, the nursery – which boasts of a family atmosphere – has closed and suspended registration, temporarily placing children in nearby nurseries.
It cares for 69 children aged four and under, with fees ranging from £589 to £1,893 and it was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted when it was inspected in March 2022.
The Metropolitan Police said their Child Abuse Investigation Team launched an urgent probe after it was alerted on July 2.
Detective Superintendent Ian Cameron, from the South West area’s Public Protection team, told The Independent: ‘I understand the concern that this has caused in the community, especially for parents with young children in nursery.
‘These are very serious allegations, which is why we swiftly launched a thorough investigation.’
He said enquiries are ongoing as the police work with the nursery, council and Ofsted.
A spokesperson for Twickenham Green Nursery said Lecka was suspended as soon as they were made aware of the allegations.
‘We have been communicating with the parents of children at our nursery to keep them informed of developments. The safety and welfare of all our children remains our number one priority,’ they added.
Twickenham Green Nursery is one of five nurseries in south-west London under the umbrella of Riverside Nursery Schools – which are all based near the river in Richmond – but it is believed Lecka only worked at the one.
Twickenham Green Nursery is one of five nurseries in south-west London under the umbrella of Riverside Nursery Schools – which are all based near the river in Richmond (above)
Director of Little Dukes Rik McShane, told parents the nursery would ‘continue to do all we can to assist the police investigation’.
He told them: ‘Thank you, as ever, for working with us through this difficult time,’ The Telegraph reported.
Riverside Nursery Schools’ website says it has ‘created a bespoke curriculum that draws inspiration from a range of established and time-proven pedagogies including Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Forest School’.
It says the education focuses on children developing the ‘Riverside Nursery Dispositions’ of resilience, imagination, veracity, empathy, and responsibility.
‘With a bespoke and individualised education, delivered with nurturing, loving care, we prove the best start for your child.’
Following the Montessori method, this means the nursery values hands-on learning and developing real-world skills.
Princess Diana was an assistant in a Montessori school before she married Prince Charles, and Prince William and Kate also chose a Montessori education in Norfolk for Prince George.
Activities at Riverside nurseries include ‘ancient art of making grape juice’, where children squish grapes with their feet, and learning karate.
Lecka is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court on Aug 21.
