Orchard Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management affect children's safety and well-being.

For example, leaders fail to conduct required checks for those in governance, safe recruitment practices are poorly implemented, and food safety procedures are ineffective. In addition, risk assessments are poor. Outdoor areas have loose ropes, broken gate locks and stacked heavy boxes, all of which pose a risk to children.

These issues do not ensure children's safety. However, staff know the proper channels for reporting concerns regarding a child's welfare and leaders show a commitment to making the necessary improvements.Leaders a...nd managers are in the process of recruiting new staff, due to changes in the team.

While the minimum staff-to-child ratios are met, current staffing arrangements do not fully support children's learning and development. For example, some staff constantly fail to engage with, or support, children. They stand silently as children play and do not interact with them to support their learning.

That said, other staff enthusiastically introduce new words to younger children, such as 'pumpkin'.In the main, children arrive happily and enjoy their time at nursery. For example, children excitedly chat back and forth as they work together to build an 'aeroplane' from large blocks.

However, leaders and staff do not plan an ambitious curriculum. Children who are quieter and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not consistently supported to make the best possible progress. For instance, during free-play activities, some children become overly excited and begin to climb on unsafe items.

Staff are inconsistent in managing this behaviour, sometimes ignoring the negative behaviour. This inconsistency does not help children to understand behaviour expectations.

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

Leaders and managers fail to implement robust recruitment and vetting procedures.

They do not conduct the necessary checks to ensure that staff are deemed suitable. Leaders do not maintain accurate records of enhanced criminal records checks and barred list checks for staff who have lived or worked abroad. This means they cannot be certain of the staff's suitability to care for children.

Furthermore, leaders have not obtained the required Ofsted vetting for all named directors of their organisation. As a result, critical suitability checks are missing, which compromises children's safety and well-being.Risk assessments are ineffective.

Although staff complete daily risk assessments and identify hazards, leaders do not take timely action to maintain a safe environment. For example, staff fail to remove hazards, such as growing fungi or weeds in children's play areas, even after identifying them. This means children are exposed to risks in the nursery environment.

Leaders do not ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge to recognise and address risks during mealtimes. For instance, staff do not prepare food appropriately for the age and developmental stage of each child. Furthermore, procedures for managing allergies and dietary requirements are inadequate.

Staff did not know the signs or symptoms to indicate if a child had been exposed to an allergen. They do not know how to respond if this happened. As a result, children's health and well-being are compromised.

Leaders receive support from external agencies, such as speech and language therapists. However, children with SEND do not get the help they need to develop positive attitudes to play and learning. In addition, staff do not effectively communicate daily routines to these children, causing confusion.

They do not make enough progress, and the gaps in their development are at risk of widening.Leaders do not ensure staff understand the appropriate strategies to support behaviour, which leads to them physically moving children. Additionally, some children's disruptive behaviour leads to ongoing interruptions that affect other children's learning, as they become distracted and disengaged.

Some staff offer children a wide variety of enjoyable learning experiences, such as making clay lanterns and exploring the texture of the inside of pumpkins. However, staff do not receive adequate supervision to support them in their role. While leaders have identified aspects of their practice that need improvement, action has been insufficient.

For instance, staff do not receive adequate support to plan and implement an age-appropriate curriculum. Staff sometimes fail to notice when younger children struggle to engage in parts of the day or when activities are not suitable for their age and developmental stage. This means some children miss out on valuable learning opportunities that would support their next steps in development.

Leaders know that some staff do not provide positive and purposeful interactions to further children's learning and development. However, they have not taken effective steps to address this and raise the quality of teaching to a high standard. This inhibits children's progress.

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 leaders provide Ofsted with details of those with governance to ensure relevant suitability checks are completed 14/11/2024 ensure that any additional criminal record checks (or checks if more than one country) are made for anyone who has lived or worked abroad 14/11/2024 implement effective risk assessments to ensure that all areas children have access to are safe and suitable for purpose, with particular regard to the outside areas 14/11/2024 implement robust procedures around mealtimes and improve preparation of foods and the management of allergies and dietary needs to ensure all risks to children's safety are minimised 14/11/2024 plan and implement an age-appropriate, broad and well-balanced curriculum that is tailored to the individual needs of children, including those with SEND 14/11/2024 implement effective strategies for managing children's behaviours so they know and understand what is expected of them 14/11/2024 develop the monitoring of the provision, in particular to improve the coaching and mentoring of staff to identify gaps in practice to improve teaching.

14/11/2024