Guildhall Nursery and Preschool

Inspection of Guildhall Nursery and Preschool Mansion House, 41 Guildhall Lane, Leicester, Leicestershire LE1 5FQ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is compromised. This is because the manager and some staff do not have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. This means they do not promote children's welfare effectively. They do not recognise all signs and symptoms that indicate a child is at risk of harm. Additionally, although children are appropriately supervised during their play, there are some areas of the setting where risks are not assessed. This means children are exposed to hazards that potentially have an impact on their safety and well-being. Children are not consistently offered foods that promote a balanced and healthy diet. They do not have daily access to outside play, which means they do not regularly use their large muscles in a range of ways to support good physical development.

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The provision is inadequate

Children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as children who speak English as an additional language (EAL), do not make the progress they are capable of. This is because staff do not provide children with good learning experiences and opportunities. The management team do not ensure good support and coaching for staff to enable them to promote children's learning effectively. Expectations for what children can achieve are not consistently high enough. Some children in the baby room enjoy exploring the role- play equipment. They fill their shopping basket with play food and hand this to staff. Pre-school children spend time moving cars around the floor and enjoy putting these down tubes, showing delight as they appear at the bottom. Toddlers engage in creative play. They use shapes to make patterns on their 'pumpkin' picture. However, staff's understanding of the intended learning outcome for these

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The provision is inadequate

activities are not clear. Children's individual needs are not consistently met.

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need to do better?

n The management team gather information regarding children's individual care and learning needs from parents. However, this information is not always shared effectively with each child's key person. Staff do not know enough about their key children to effectively meet their needs. n Children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) are not well supported. For example, staff do not take time to find out about their backgrounds and heritage. Staff do not recognise the importance of, or promote the use of, children's home language to support their communication and language skills overall. Therefore, staff are not able to effectively support children's individual learning or help them to feel secure and settled. n The manager is new to her role and is able to give a clear overview of the curriculum and the intent for children's learning. She explains how communication and language is one of the main components of the curriculum.

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need to do better?

However, most staff do not model language well enough as children play. Staff

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need to do better?

26 October 2021 do not offer timely interactions or engage with the children as they play to support communication. For example, when three-year-old children were building with pretend house bricks, they carefully placed one on top of another. Staff did not use any communication to support or extend their developing speaking skills. This leads to high numbers of children that use very little spoken language. n Staff do not tailor their interactions to meet the varied needs of children. They do not plan or implement a purposeful curriculum to help children make the progress they are capable of. Staff observe and assess the learning that takes place, but their lack of understanding about how children learn means that activities offered do not match children's learning needs. Activities are either too advanced or lack challenge. For example, a three-year-old child was expected to understand the value and concept of money. The child did not learn anything

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need to do better?

from this experience. Children are not gaining the skills and knowledge needed in readiness for their future learning and move to school. n There have been recent changes to the organisation of the setting, including a new manager and a number of new staff. During the changes, the management team have failed to ensure there is a suitable person to take on the role of deputy in the manager's absence. Staff attend regular support meetings with the provider of the nursery, however, these do not help to identify gaps in staff's knowledge and practice. Effective steps are not taken to support staff to improve their skills, knowledge and interactions with children. n Children seek out staff for comfort and support when needed and are happy when staff join in with their play. Staff meet children's care needs well. They show consideration when changing their nappies and offer gentle reassurance when settling them to sleep. However, the pre-school room is poorly organised.

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need to do better?

Children wander around receiving very little attention and support in their play, this is particularly so for children with SEND. n Some staff do not have a secure understanding of the safeguarding procedures and policy. They cannot explain some aspects of what might give them cause for concern regarding how to identify children who may be at risk. This gap in knowledge has an impact on children's safety and welfare. n Children are offered three meals a day as well as snacks, both mid-morning and afternoon. These are all freshly cooked on site and are vegetarian only meals. Children are offered fruit and vegetables every day. However, the foods offered do not promote a balanced and nutritious diet to support children's good health. For example, children are offered only vegetables and noodles or rice, on more than one day a week. Furthermore, not every child gets the opportunity to be outside every day.

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need to do better?

n The management team and staff do not take all necessary steps to minimise risks to children indoors. For example, damaged lagging on low-level heating pipes in the baby room expose children to a risk of burning. There is broken glass at the fire exit to the rear of the building; some windows in areas accessed by children do not have restrictors fitted and some of the shelving and storage units are not secure. This places children at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager, who is the designated lead for safeguarding, does not have a secure understanding of how to identify children who may be at risk of harm. This is with particular regard to the 'Prevent' duty. Furthermore, some staff do not have a secure understanding of the safeguarding procedures and policy. They cannot explain what might give them cause for concern regarding how to identify children who may be at risk. This gap in knowledge has an impact on children's safety and welfare. Furthermore, risk assessments do not identify or minimise all hazards in the setting. This has an impact on children's safety and welfare. There is a thorough and robust recruitment system in place to ensure all staff working with children are safe and suitable.

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Due date

ensure risk assessments are robust and identify and minimise potential hazards, with particular regard to windows in areas accessed by children; low-level pipes; units in areas used by children and hazards associated with the ground floor fire exit door 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure there is a named deputy in place who is capable and qualified, to take charge in the absence of the manager 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure all those working with children have a thorough understanding of the safeguarding policy and procedure in order to be able to identify children who may be at risk of harm, with particular regard to the 'Prevent' duty guidance 22/11/2021

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Due date

26 October 2021 ensure all meals offered to children are healthy, balanced and nutritious and reflect all food groups to support children's good growth and development 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure supervision is used to tackle poor teaching and to identify gaps in staff's understanding and implementation of the curriculum in order to ensure every child has the opportunity to make the progress they are capable of 22/11/2021

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Due date

organise the pre-school environment more effectively to ensure that staff support every child to have a fun and worthwhile learning experience, this is particularly regarding children with special educational needs and/or disabilities 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure key persons working with children know and understand the needs of every child in their care from the outset, using this information to tailor and guide their learning from the start 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure every child has access to outdoor play and activities every day. 22/11/2021

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Due date

ensure staff develop the skills and knowledge needed to promote children's communication and language skills effectively, particularly for those children who speak English as an additional language. 06/12/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY557987 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 10210688 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Stars In The Making Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0116 4296607 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Guildhall Nursery and Preschool registered in 2018 and is located in Leicester City centre. The setting opens Monday to Friday from 7am until 6pm, 51 weeks of the year, closing only for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. The setting employs seven members of staff, six of whom hold early years qualifications. The setting offers funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector conducted a learning walk to discuss the curriculum and how it is implemented. n The inspector reviewed documentation, including accident forms, medication forms and staff suitability checks in order to gain an insight into the running of the setting. n The inspector spoke to the management team, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed children indoors and outdoors. n The inspector sought the views of parents about what it is like for their child to attend the setting.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

26 October 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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