Gummy Bears

Inspection of Gummy Bears 164-166 St Albans Avenue, Ashton-Under-Lyne OL6 8TU

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is inadequate

The provider has not maintained good oversight of the nursery since the last inspection. Multiple breaches of the statutory framework have not been acted upon, leaving children exposed to risks to their health and safety. The provider has not ensured that all staff working within the nursery have the appropriate qualifications and has failed to follow the nursery's safer recruitment policies. This means staff who have not been subject to suitability checks have unsupervised contact with children. Failings in risk assessment mean the environment is not safe for children. This lack of secure safeguarding practice places children at significant risk of harm. Support for staff is weak. Staff who have been placed to lead the setting lack the knowledge and understanding to do so and feel overwhelmed to fulfil the roles. Despite their best efforts, they are often unsuccessful in managing all tasks and feel unsupported. Staff are kind and caring towards children and

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The provision is inadequate

demonstrate their efforts to provide children with better outcomes.

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The provision is inadequate

The provider has not ensured children have access to a broad and ambitious curriculum. Staff are unclear on the specific learning intentions for children. In addition, interactions with children are not of consistent high quality. This means children lack motivation and are easily distracted from their learning. Some staff have not completed regular assessments to help them to identify children who may need additional support. As a result, staff are unable to confidently demonstrate any progress children have made since their starting points. The nursery has recently been through a turbulent period with many staff changes. This has contributed to the decline in the quality of the provision.

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need to do better?

n The provider has not ensured that all areas of the premises that children occupy are safe, well maintained and fit for purpose. For example, multiple fire doors are locked or jammed, preventing them from being opened in an emergency. Children, staff and visitors are not safe in the event of a fire. n The provider does not ensure that staff are competent to complete effective risk assessments. As a result, staff are unable to identify risks in the environment. For example, children play in tyres used for digging soil with plastic sheeting in them. Furthermore, stagnant water left in a mop bucket is accessible to children as they play. These pose a risk to children's safety. n There is not an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in place. Staff have not been supported to understand the learning intentions for the curriculum and activities are poorly thought out. For example, children who are still learning to

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need to do better?

hold a pencil correctly are expected to colour within the lines of a picture. Children do not build on their existing skills or make good progress in their learning.

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need to do better?

8 July 2025 n The provider has not followed actions set by other professionals. For example, the provider has failed to send a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service. This lack of meeting statutory duties compromises children's safety. n The provider has not ensured that those looking after children are suitable. They have not obtained an enhanced criminal records check, as is required, or carried out other vetting checks, to assure themselves of staff's suitability. Staff without the appropriate checks often work alone with young babies and children. This compromises children's safety and welfare. n The arrangements for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are weak. Staff do not work in partnership with other professionals to implement specific learning targets that build on children's skills. Children with SEND are often disengaged from learning and left to wander

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need to do better?

around the nursery with poor-quality interactions from staff. As a result, children with SEND are not supported to make adequate progress. n The provider does not ensure the promotion of children's good health. Staff preparing and handling food do not have the required training to do so. Food is given to children that has not been suitably checked to ensure it has been cooked to a safe temperature. In addition, the facilities used to prepare all meals are extremely unclean and unhygienic. This puts children at risk of serious illness. n The provider has not ensured that all staff receive supervision, coaching and mentoring. Although some staff have sought out their own training, they do not all have the knowledge they need to fulfil their roles. Consequently, there are significant weaknesses in the quality of care and education that children receive. n The key-person system is not effective across the nursery. Some children spend

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need to do better?

long periods of time with no key person. This is because staff regularly leave their roles and are replaced with agency or bank staff. Staff are not able to get to know children well and are, therefore, unsure of how to meet their individual needs. This does not help children to form secure attachments and has a significant impact on their emotional well-being. n Partnership working with parents is not effective. Although parents have positive relationships with some key members of the staff team, they have raised concerns regarding the 'inconsistent staff'. Staff do not regularly share children's next steps in learning with parents or provide them with ideas to support home learning. Parents are not aware of who is leading the setting. In addition, the provider has not ensured that important information for children is gained from parents. Staff are unable to contact some parents and carers in the event of an

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need to do better?

emergency as they have no registration forms. Poor partnership with parents significantly impacts on children's care and education in the nursery. n Staffing arrangements do not meet the needs of all children. The provider does not ensure that qualified staff are effectively deployed. There are also no leaders or managers present at this nursery for significant periods of time. This has a significant impact on the care and quality of education children receive. n The provider has not ensured that staff with additional roles, such as designated safeguarding lead, have a good overview of the vulnerable children who attend the nursery. In addition, they do not ensure that all staff, including agency staff, receive a robust induction. Consequently, staff do not thoroughly understand the

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need to do better?

8 July 2025 setting's safeguarding policies and procedures, which places children at risk of significant harm.

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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 the premises are safe, fit for purpose and that fire doors are unlocked and free from obstruction so that they are easily accessible in the event of an emergency evacuation 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure risk assessments are used effectively to identify any risks to children's safety and welfare, and take action to remove or minimise these 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure those responsible for making referrals to the relevant agencies, such as the Disclosure and Barring service, complete their duties to ensure children's safety 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure that every member of staff working with children has an enhanced criminal records check and that robust recruitment procedures are followed 12/08/2025

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Due date

implement effective arrangements for supporting children with SEND to help them make progress in their learning 12/08/2025

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Due date

8 July 2025 ensure there are hygienic facilities available for the preparation of food and staff who prepare and handle food are competent to do so 12/08/2025

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Due date

implement robust procedures for the supervision of staff to ensure professional development is targeted and purposeful 12/08/2025

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Due date

implement the key-person role across the nursery, so that all children's care is tailored to meet their individual needs 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure information about children, including their emergency contacts is recorded and available 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure staffing arrangements meet children's needs, including through ensuring there is appropriate leadership on site at all times and that all members of staff understand these arrangements 12/08/2025

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Due date

ensure all staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, are alert to all children who may be at risk of harm and that all staff are aware of who the designated safeguarding lead is 12/08/2025

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Due date

implement robust induction procedures that include training all staff to understand the nursery's safeguarding policies and procedures. 12/08/2025

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Due date

implement a varied and ambitious curriculum that builds on children's existing skills and knowledge. 12/08/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2710221 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 10376450 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 68 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Gummy Bears Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07592039949 Date of previous inspection 14 November 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Gummy Bears registered in 2022 and is located in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside. The setting employs three members of staff, all of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or above. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays and Christmas. The setting offers government funded places for children aged nine months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety of the premises. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The room leaders and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the acting manager. n The inspector spoke with the provider about the leadership and management of the setting. n The provider showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

8 July 2025 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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