The Anchor Nursery and Preschool

Inspection of The Anchor Nursery and Preschool Kings Ripton Lodge, Kings Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 2NH

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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 welfare is not fully assured because the provider does not ensure that health and safety requirements are met. Staff do not check the premises to ensure that any potential hazards are removed or put out of children's reach. Children do not benefit from good hygiene practice. Staff do not help them to understand how appropriate handwashing contributes to their good health. Despite these issues, children are generally happy within the setting and parents comment positively on their experience. Children play together, sharing resources and taking turns.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not receive the level of education to which they are entitled. Leaders do not have a good knowledge and understanding of how to assess and plan for children's individual learning needs. Children in baby and toddler rooms do not experience a broad, and engaging curriculum. Staff are not proactive in engaging with babies and their interactions are limited. Some staff do not know children well enough to support their learning and development. Children in the toddler room are not sufficiently engaged or challenged and babies do not receive enough stimulation to engage them in exploration. However, children in the pre-school room enjoy planned activities that support their interests. For example, they learn about growth and decay as they observe changes to pumpkins in the woodland.

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need to do better?

n The provider has failed to comply with health and safety requirements. On the day of inspection, fire doors are wedged open and children have free access to hazardous areas, such as the kitchen and staff toilets, where cleaning chemicals are left within their reach. Leaders and staff do not identify potential hazards relating to poor storage of resources and the evacuation of sleeping children. Hygiene practice is poor, and this does not promote children's good health. For example, cleaning routines in the baby room do not sufficiently prevent cross- contamination for children with allergies, and handwashing is not routinely promoted across the setting to prevent the spread of infection. n Food prepared in the setting is not balanced and nutritious. Fruits and vegetables are not routinely part of the menu, and menu plans are not shared with parents. Babies are unable to reach their own drink bottles independently

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need to do better?

as they are kept on a high windowsill. This means they are unable to choose when to have a drink to keep hydrated. n The key-person system is not embedded effectively in the setting. Some parents do not know who their child's key person is. As a result, children do not benefit from tailored support to meet their individual needs. Managers complete assessments of children's learning and refer staff to written information about each child displayed in the rooms. Staff have limited knowledge of children's learning and development needs in the baby and toddler rooms.

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need to do better?

16 November 2022 n The provider has failed to ensure that leaders understand how to design and deliver an effective curriculum across the setting. Teaching is inconsistent. Babies and toddlers do not benefit from the same level of teaching that is available in the pre-school room. Staff in the baby and toddler rooms do not provide learning opportunities that are challenging and ambitious, and they are not proactive in supporting young children's explorations. This means some children do not gain the necessary skills to support their future learning. n In the pre-school, staff encourage children to be independent. Children put on their outdoor clothing by themselves and clear away their plates and cutlery at mealtimes. However, this is not consistent across the setting. Toddlers do not have the same opportunities to develop their independence at mealtimes because staff do too much for them. n Staff promote children's communication and language in the pre-school room,

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need to do better?

where they have engaging and stimulating conversations with children. Pre- school children eagerly share their preferences of foods at lunchtime and, during a discussion on fire safety, they answer questions and talk confidently about what the fire alarm means. Staff in the toddler room focus on what children are doing rather than engaging them in purposeful interactions. This means that children do not learn more than they already know. Staff in the baby room sometimes talk to the babies. However, this is fleeting and means that babies do not benefit from good quality back-and-forth interactions, which are crucial in supporting their emerging communication skills. n Managers provide staff with training opportunities and new staff say they feel well supported in their role. Supervision meetings enable staff to discuss their workload and well-being, which the manager has focused on. However, the provider has not ensured that staff have the professional development

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need to do better?

opportunities to improve their teaching and their understanding of how children learn. n Parents speak highly of the care their children receive and how their children enjoy attending the setting. They say they are happy with the feedback that they receive about their child's day.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider does not make sure that leaders recognise any potential hazards and remove or minimise them. Members of the management team do not understand the risk of non-compliance with health and safety legislation, including fire safety, to ensure children are safe. Leaders do follow appropriate recruitment procedures to ensure staff working with children are appropriate to do so. Staff are knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of abuse and understand how to report child protection concerns. Leaders are clear about their responsibility to report child protection concerns to relevant outside agencies.

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Due date

comply with health and safety legislation, including fire safety and hygiene requirements 01/12/2022

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Due date

take reasonable steps to ensure children are not exposed to risks, such as cleaning chemicals and ineffective hygiene procedures 01/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that meals are healthy and nutritious, and that babies can access fresh drinking water at all times 01/12/2022

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Due date

share information with parents and carers about food and drinks provided for children 14/12/2022

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Due date

inform parents and carers of the name of their child's key person and explain their role when children first start at the setting 14/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that staff obtain and demonstrate appropriate skills and knowledge, particularly with regard to teaching and how to deliver good quality learning experiences for children 14/02/2023

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Due date

provide a range of interesting and stimulating activities that meets individual children's learning needs, focusing on what they need to learn next to secure their good progress 14/02/2023

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Due date

ensure that children have rich opportunities to develop their communication and language skills, so that the development of their spoken language firmly underpins all seven areas of learning. 14/02/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2602184 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10251591 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person Golden Apples Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01487 773162 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Anchor Nursery and Preschool registered in 2020. The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Four staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 5. The setting opens from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks each year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education 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 joined the inspector on a learning walk and discussed how the curriculum and learning intentions are delivered. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. The inspector talked to staff and children during the inspection. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of a planned activity in the woodland. n The inspector held a leadership and management discussion with the manager. The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector, who took account of

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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

16 November 2022 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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