I work in a preschool nursery (age 2 to 4) and I have concerns about practices I have seen or that I am aware have happened. The management team are not approachable and would make my working life miserable if I was to take my concerns to them so I can't raise it with them.
My concerns include:
- apprentices being mismanaged, treated like rubbish, not being properly mentored and then told they aren't meeting standards so they can be gotten rid of and then new apprentices brought in. None of them is ever taken on permanently as it's cheaper than fully qualified staff
- staff being told to use hazardous chemicals without proper PPE, staff told off when asking for PPE
- safeguarding concerns being ignored and/or safeguarding leads denying it is a safeguarding issue by trying to downplay the issue, staff told to speak directly to parents involved when this is not within their remit
- staff being micro-managed and treated like incapable children rather than professional adults
- staff being shouted at by managers in front of parents and children
- SEN records not being held securely, they're literally in a folder on a desk in the corner of the room
- chains of command not communicated, for example all of management in a meeting and staff told they are absolutely not to be disturbed (and they will literally shut the door in your face if you do) but no point of contact given for issues requiring managerial input
- staff accidents not recorded in accident book due to there being "no witnesses" even though staff have needed medical assessment/treatment
- mild insect infestation managed by telling staff to catch/kill any insects they saw rather than closing nursery and fumigating
- children with SEN and/or EHCP plans requiring assigned staff member/specific support not getting that support as staff have been redeployed elsewhere in the building
- staff being told to work with specific children with EHCP and/or significant needs with no handover or prior knowledge of that child's needs and basically having to figure it out as they go (staff then inevitably bollocked by management for not properly meeting those needs)
- staff being expected to take on the roles of catering/lunchtime staff, cleaners and caretakers due to staff shortages
- family members of staff being contacted by management when management have no right to do so, e.g., contacting the partner of a staff member who had gotten drunk at the weekend (at a non-work event with no work people there on a non-working day with a non-working day afterwards) to tell the partner they needed to have words with the staff member about their conduct and that this reflects poorly on the business
Is this all something Ofsted would act on if I was to contact them? And would they allow me to remain anonymous?