Knutsford Day Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Knutsford Day Nursery Ltd The Old Library, Brook Street, KNUTSFORD, Cheshire WA16 8BN

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

The nursery's safeguarding policies and procedures are not understood by all staff. Furthermore, the nursery's policies and procedures for complaints and children's intimate care are not robust. This compromises the safety and well-being of children.

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not have a robust oversight of the curriculum. This leads to variable understanding from the wider staff team. Not all staff know the key skills and knowledge they want children to achieve. The provider does not fully understand or do enough to ensure the education and quality of care children receive is consistently good. However, most staff use intuitive knowledge of child development and how children learn in their teaching. Staff identify when children need additional support and take steps to provide this. Overall, children make some progress in relation to their starting points.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff are attentive to children in their play. Children make bonds with their key person. Staff provide children with praise for their efforts, which helps them to try hard and feel proud. For example, staff tell children how impressed they are when they build a tall tower and role model polite manners. Children behave well as they transition smoothly throughout the routines and different activities. They show they are happy at the nursery.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure that all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. In particular, who staff should refer concerns regarding the welfare of children to outside of the nursery. However, most staff do know how to identify safeguarding concerns and the different types of abuse. They demonstrate they would report concerns promptly within the nursery. n The nursery does not have secure systems in place to support children's intimate care. Despite the nursery outlining action it intends to take to introduce systems, these have not been implemented effectively. Therefore, there are consistent weaknesses in care practices. n The provider has not ensured that the nursery complaints policy and procedures are followed robustly. The provider does ensure that complaints are investigated within the required time frame and that parents receive a response. However,

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need to do better?

any outcome or changes made are not fully embedded. Therefore, there is a recurring pattern of concerns being raised. The provider does not reflect on areas of weakness effectively to ensure sustained improvements to benefit children. n Staff do not receive robust supervision to help them to identify their strengths

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need to do better?

1 July 2024 and weaknesses in practice. Consequently, the quality of children's learning is inconsistent. Staff receive ineffective targets that do not help them to bring about change in their practice. For example, the provider does not consistently identify weaker practice. They do not fully understand how to devise and deliver an ambitious curriculum. Therefore, at times, staff lack confidence in their knowledge and underestimate their capabilities. n Overall, there is a curriculum in place that is broadly appropriate for each age group within the nursery. However, the provider does not fully understand how to sequentially build upon children's skills and knowledge. For example, some next steps in learning are pitched too high for children's age and stage of development. That said, the provider is engaging with local authority support to develop and embed the curriculum further. Most staff working directly with the

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need to do better?

children broadly understand what their key children need to learn next. While some activities are not effective at meeting the planned learning intentions, children still engage well and show enthusiasm for having a go and joining in. n Implementation of the curriculum is variable. Staff do not always help children to problem-solve and develop their critical thinking skills. They do not always consider how distractions in the environment can impact on children's concentration. Staff provide exploratory play experiences such as using hammers to break ice to save superheroes or finding fish in coloured water. While these activities engage children and appeal to their interests, they do not fully help them to focus on, develop and extend new skills as intended. n Overall, staff help children to learn positive behaviours. Staff are alert to ensuring children's behaviour does not impact on others' safety. The curriculum

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need to do better?

rightly places focus on supporting children's turn-taking skills. n Staff work hard in partnership with external professionals to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make ongoing progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure all staff know what action to take when there are safeguarding concerns about a child 10/08/2024

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Due date

1 July 2024 ensure staff know what action is required in the event of an allegation being made against the member of staff 10/08/2024

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Due date

record and act on information from parents and carers about children's dietary needs 10/08/2024

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Due date

implement robust monitoring procedures so that children's individual needs, including intimate care, are always fully met 10/08/2024

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Due date

fully investigate all complaints in relation to the early years foundation stage requirements and ensure improvements are sustained 10/08/2024

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Due date

put appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision of staff to support and provide coaching for practitioners so they can ensure children receive consistently good-quality education. 10/08/2024

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should:

n review the sequencing of the curriculum to support children to learn new skills and make good progress n develop staff knowledge of how to support children to problem-solve and think more critically, for their age and stage of development n review the organisation of learning experiences in the environment to minimise disruptions to children's concentration.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY315231 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10351090 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 61 Name of registered person Knutsford Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01565 653147 Date of previous inspection 4 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Knutsford Day Nursery Ltd registered in 2005. The nursery opens five days a week from 7.30am until 7pm, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. There are currently 13 staff working directly with children, 11 of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free 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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Leadership discussions were held with the manager, deputy manager and nominated individual, who is also the owner. n The manager provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation, including evidence to demonstrate the suitability of staff. Required training arrangements were checked and deemed suitable. n Discussions were held with staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed activities with both the manager and deputy and

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Inspection activities

evaluated the quality of teaching and implementation. n The inspector tracked the experiences of children to determine the progress they make.

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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

1 July 2024 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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