Annie and Co Nursery and Forest school

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's welfare is compromised due to poor safeguarding processes.

Staff with lead safeguarding roles do not always liaise with external safeguarding agencies to share relevant information that may impact the safety of children. Despite these concerns, children make good progress from their starting points. This is because leaders and staff work hard to deliver appropriate learning opportunities.

Children develop high levels of confidence and independence as they safely explore the opportunities for outdoor learning. They follow familiar routines and are eager to play and learn. For instance, children make hom...es for hedgehogs and learn about hibernation, they help build dens and use a range of tools purposefully.

Staff encourage children to keep trying when they find something difficult and they praise children for their persistence. Consequently, children are motivated and extremely proud of their achievements. Staff teach children how to be responsible for their own safety.

Children learn the camp fire rules and they understand that strict rules are in place to keep them safe.Children's behaviour is good and they take turns and share with others. They demonstrate respect and kindness for one another and the natural world.

They listen and respond to instructions well and show their emerging understanding of staying safe in the outdoor environment. Staff have high expectations for children, including those who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children are making good progress.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Processes for sharing relevant safeguarding information with external agencies are weak and this compromises children's safety. Staff with a lead safeguarding responsibility are not proactive enough in seeking advice or reporting child protection concerns in a timely manner.Although there is an appropriate safeguarding policy in place and staff attend regular training, when safeguarding concerns are identified the provider has failed to follow the setting's own policy and procedures.

The provider has a clear intent for the curriculum and what she wants children to learn. The setting has a strong focus on nature-based learning. Staff encourage children to discover the world around them.

They understand how to successfully promote this, which is demonstrated through their effective delivery of activities.Staff follow children's interests. They prepare interesting activities that excite children's curiosity.

For example, children use magnifying glasses to hunt for minibeasts and delight in their discoveries when they are found.Documents used to record incidents and accidents are not fully effective.Furthermore, these records are not collated or reviewed.

This means the provider is not able to recognise patterns of behaviour that could indicate when a child might be at risk from harm.Children have ample opportunities to build on core muscle strength and develop good hand-to-eye coordination. They learn to climb on low tree branches while checking they are safe to do so.

Children straddle large logs, navigate the uneven ground and scoot up and down mud banks with increasing confidence.The provider lacks understanding of how to check that qualifications are full and relevant to the childcare role. This impacts on the requirement to have enough staff who are suitably qualified.

That said, the provider supports the staff well in their roles to ensure children are provided with a good level of care and education.The procedure for the accurate recording and administration of medication to children is not effective, with some key pieces of information missing. This puts children's safety at risk.

The provider does not understand some of their other statutory legal duties. For example, they have failed to register the premises with the food standards agency. However, some staff have attended training on food hygiene.

Communication, language and literacy are interwoven into the curriculum. Staff model good language and encourage older children to sound out letters. There is a wealth of conversation as children are eager to tell staff about events that are important to them.

Children talk with great excitement about the pumpkins and squashes set up on the table. They use the word 'similar' to describe and compare them, demonstrating an understanding of how these vegetables are alike.Parents comment positively on the progress their children make and the good relationships they have with the staff and how much their children love attending the setting.'

The staff live and breathe forest school and that's why the children thrive too – because the adults are.' The setting shares information about what they are teaching children, however some parents would welcome regular progress on their child's individual learning and development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure that staff with a lead safeguarding role liaise with external safeguarding agencies to seek advice and share relevant information to help keep children safe 18/10/2024 make sure all staff, including those that lead on safeguarding, have a secure understanding of the safeguarding policy and procedure, in particular the procedures to follow where there are child protection concerns 18/10/2024 take appropriate steps to verify the qualifications of people working with children and that you are meeting the minimum qualification requirement 18/10/2024 comply with all relevant legal duties, including food safety and hygiene to ensure children's health and safety 18/10/2024 implement and maintain accurate ways of recording medication that are fully understood by all staff to ensure children's health and welfare are secure.18/10/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen record keeping, including accident and safeguarding incidents to ensure they are robust, so that children's safety and well-being is assured develop communication with parents further so they are aware of their child's individual learning and next steps at the setting and how they can support them at home.