Cambridge Day Nursery

Inspection of Cambridge Day Nursery 67a Milton Road, CAMBRIDGE CB4 1XA

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured. There are significant weaknesses in the leadership and management of the nursery. Recruitment and induction processes are weak. They are not followed robustly to assure the suitability of all adults working in the nursery. The premises are not sufficiently secure, and staff supervision of children is not effective.

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The provision is inadequate

Children's good health is not promoted. Staff do not notice when children drink water from the outdoor water tray. The cleanliness of the nursery is poor. Potties are not emptied, and toilets are not flushed after use. Staff do not supervise children to check that they wash their hands after using the toilet. Children placed their faces on and licked dirty windows. They ate from each other's plates and fed each other from shared spoons.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not receive the quality of education they deserve. Although the provider has established a curriculum, this is not shared effectively with staff. The nursery is chaotic. Children often wander aimlessly or engage in games of chase because there is no purposeful or meaningful activity to inspire or motivate their learning. Staff did not notice when children resorted to playing in the bathroom on the floor, 'cleaning' the pipes under the sink with a wet paper towel. When staff talk to children, their choice of language is not ambitious to help children build a wide vocabulary. Communication with parents is weak, in part due to an ineffective key-person system. Some parents do not receive meaningful or accurate information about their child's day.

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need to do better?

n The leadership and management of the nursery is significantly weak. Poor oversight of practice has led to complacency throughout the nursery and a lack of ambition for children. There are repeated breaches of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. This is with particular regard to checking the suitability of adults working in the nursery, effective supervision of children to keep them safe and healthy, risk assessments, and hygiene. This raises significant concerns about the provider's capacity to improve and sustain good-quality care and education for children. n Children are not supervised well. Staff tend to work with one or two children but do not demonstrate awareness of what else is happening around them and with other children. Brushes and mops are left in reach of children, and a cupboard in the playroom containing knives and forks was accessible to them. Children can

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need to do better?

access the stairs without adult supervision. The lack of vigilance by staff heightens the risks to children. n Poor supervision of children renders the arrangements for parents to collect

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need to do better?

10 October 2023 children at the end of the day unsafe. Staff leave the internal gate open, which gives children unsupervised access to the kitchen and to the front door, creating a security risk for children. On the day of inspection, an unvetted maintenance person was not escorted as they completed their work. This means they had unsupervised access to children. Leaders and managers had little information about this individual, other than their first name. This compromises children's safety and demonstrates exceedingly poor safeguarding practice. n Staff do not notice hazards to children's safety. A portable ladder that was in place for children to climb onto wooden apparatus was not securely fastened. A young child fell, pulling the ladder on top of themselves. Although the child was not injured, this raises significant concerns about children's safety. Children play and climb on tyres that hold standing water in the rims and are covered with

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need to do better?

bird droppings. Despite being raised as a concern at a recent visit, the nursery is dirty and poorly maintained. This places children's health at risk. n Staff do not receive appropriate training and coaching to help them develop their practice and to understand and implement the curriculum. Some staff do not receive regular supervision meetings. Other staff have not received any form of supervision or coaching from leaders. The quality of teaching is not accurately assessed by leaders. Planned activities for children seek to reflect their interests. However, they are not planned to help children build on what they know and can do. Too little attention is paid to help children develop good communication and language skills, which is crucial for their current and future learning and development. n The arrangements for children and babies who require a nap during the day are poor. Although clean bedding is provided for children, this was seen to be piled

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need to do better?

in a heap on the floor near to where children were eating lunch before being placed on sleep mats. Staff do not demonstrate consideration for the needs of sleeping children. The environment is not calm. Sleeping children were seen to be startled in their sleep when there was a clattering noise nearby. Sometimes, staff hold distressed babies as they try to reassure and comfort them. However, they do this while sitting next to sleeping children. This is not good practice to help children benefit from restful sleep and does not meet their needs. At other times, distressed children wander around and are ignored by staff. n Parents receive some information about their child's day. However, staff do not inform parents of the next steps in their child's learning, to help their child make progress, or how they can help at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The weak leadership and management of the nursery has enabled a poor culture of safeguarding to exist. This puts children at risk of harm. Leaders are not able to provide evidence that vetting processes have been conducted and references taken for all persons working in the nursery. Despite recent serious concerns about a former staff member's suitability, leaders do not rigorously check the ongoing suitability of all adults working in the nursery. This haphazard approach to checking

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Safeguarding

10 October 2023 the suitability of adults working in the nursery places children at risk of harm. Staff's safeguarding knowledge is not sufficiently embedded to ensure they take the required action to protect children from harm. Staff place too much reliance on senior staff to make decisions. They do not demonstrate professional curiosity or conviction to challenge decisions to advocate for children.

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Due date

improve recruitment processes to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who may have regular contact with children, are suitable 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve the arrangements to check the ongoing suitability of practitioners and any other person who may have regular contact with children 07/11/2023

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Due date

ensure that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is obtained for any person aged 16 and over who works on the premises where childcare is provided 07/11/2023

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Due date

ensure records about the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed are robustly maintained for all persons working on the premises where childcare is provided 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve the arrangements for induction so that staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities 07/11/2023

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Due date

ensure that all staff receive training about safeguarding so that they are able to identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity and respond in a timely and appropriate way 07/11/2023

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Due date

10 October 2023 improve the security of the premises to reduce the risk of children being able to leave the premises unsupervised 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve the staffing arrangements to ensure staff are appropriately deployed so that all children are adequately supervised, that their needs are met and that they are safe 07/11/2023

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Due date

ensure that all staff receive effective supervision that provides them with support, coaching and training and promotes the interests of children 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve the risk assessment procedures and take action to minimise or remove hazards so that children are not exposed to any unnecessary risks 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve hygiene practices to ensure the premises are fit for purpose and children's good health is promoted 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve the arrangements for sleeping children so that the sleeping environment meets their needs and promotes restful sleep 07/11/2023

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Due date

ensure that all children have a named key person who liaises with parents to ensure every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs 07/11/2023

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Due date

train staff to understand and implement the nursery curriculum so that children benefit from meaningful learning experiences and good-quality interaction with staff that inspires, motivates and helps them build on what they already know and can do 07/11/2023

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Due date

improve information sharing with parents so that parents understand what children are learning next and how to support ongoing learning at home. 07/11/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY308230 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10313127 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 90 Number of children on roll 84

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Name of registered person

Cambridge Associates In Management Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01223 566323 Date of previous inspection 14 September 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Cambridge Day Nursery registered in 2005. The nursery employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Gail Warnes Julie Meredith-Jenkins

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspectors talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n Children spoke to the inspectors during the inspection. n The inspectors spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspectors carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the deputy manager. n Parents spoke to the inspectors, who took account of their views. n The inspectors looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the

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Inspection activities

suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

10 October 2023 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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