NOA's Ark Nursery

NOA's Ark Nursery North Oxfordshire Academy, Drayton Road, Banbury, OX16 0UD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 August 2015 Not applicable

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Not applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is inadequate

 The management does not ensure that staff have sufficient support during school holidays. There is no designated deputy to take charge in the absence of the manager and staff are left to manage the nursery unguided. This compromises children's safety and welfare.  On the day of the inspection, staff could not contact anyone with management responsibility for the nursery.  Not all records were available to demonstrate that staff have appropriate background checks, first-aid training and early years qualifications. It is unclear if complaints are investigated appropriately or if self-evaluation procedures are in place. These weaknesses have a negative effect on outcomes for children.  Staff are not sure who the designated lead is for safeguarding and are not always able to make contact for support in the event of concerns about children.  There are gaps in recruitment and induction procedures so that not all staff are fully

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This provision is inadequate

suitable for their roles, or familiar with the nursery's policies.  There is no evidence that the management is monitoring assessment procedures to ensure that children are making good progress.  The nursery is breaching several requirements of the Childcare Register, relating to first-aid qualifications, safeguarding responsibilities and background checks.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff do what they can in the circumstances to keep children safe and to support their needs. They are kind and caring, and provide some appropriate play opportunities in a welcoming, purpose-built setting.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision and support of staff, particularly for those staff continuing to work during school holidays when the manager is absent  ensure that there is a named deputy who is able to take charge in the absence of the manager  ensure that records are maintained about the identity checks and vetting procedures for all staff working with children and that these are easily accessible and available for inspection, with particular reference to Disclosure and Barring Service checks  ensure that a member of staff designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children is available to provide support, advice and guidance to other staff on an ongoing basis, including during school holidays, and that staff know who has this responsibility so that they can seek support when required  ensure that induction training is effective in supporting all staff to understand their

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

roles and responsibilities, with particular reference to understanding the nursery's current policies and procedures  ensure that staff working with children under the age of two years have suitable experience of working with this age group  ensure that there is always at least one person with current paediatric first-aid training on the premises, that contingency arrangements are in place to ensure that this continues during any staff absences, and that records of first-aid training are available for inspection  ensure that evidence is available for inspection to demonstrate that staff have suitable qualifications to meet qualification requirements  ensure that staff receive appropriate support and supervision to implement effective assessments of children's progress so that they are able to plan activities and experiences successfully to meet children's individual needs, including during school

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

holidays  ensure that any complaints are investigated appropriately and that a record of complaints is made available for inspection.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 develop self-evaluation procedures to identify and address weaknesses in practice in order to improve outcomes for children. To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that at least one person caring for children has an appropriate first-aid qualification (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the lead practitioner responsible for ensuring the safety and welfare of children is able to support and guide other persons in relation to child protection matters (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that effective systems are in place to demonstrate that persons working with children are suitable, including obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure that at least one person caring for children has an appropriate first-aid qualification (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that effective systems are in place to demonstrate that persons working with children are suitable, including obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outside.  The inspector talked to staff about practice in the nursery.  The inspector sampled documentation available on the day.

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who attend. This is inadequate

The management has overlooked the requirement to ensure that the member of staff in charge of caring for children under two years has suitable experience of working with this age group. This leaves the staff team with a lack of expertise. Staff have adopted their own assessment procedures as they do not have access to the technology required for the nursery's assessment procedures. There is no evidence that the management is monitoring assessment procedures or supporting staff effectively. Staff observe children's interests and achievements, and they provide activities for them to enjoy. Suitable resources are available for children to explore and further resources are on order. However, staff are not identifying children's next steps in learning to match activities to their individual needs. They are therefore not effective in helping children progress to the next stage in their development. Parents receive daily information about their children's

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who attend. This is inadequate

time in the nursery. However, it is not clear if the management is addressing parents' concerns appropriately.

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inadequate

The management does not have clear contingency arrangements in place to cover absences of first-aid trained staff. This compromises children's safety in the event of an accident. While the nursery and resources are safe and suitable for children, staff report that some resources previously purchased were not suitable for the needs of children under two years. This indicates a lack of understanding by the management of children in this age group. Staff care for children appropriately. They supervise them to help keep them safe and change their nappies to keep them comfortable. Staff ensure that children are able to eat and sleep in accordance with their individual needs. However, the absence of management during school holidays, and the lack of rigour around policies and procedures, compromise children's safety and well-being. For example, staff do not know what to do in the event of an allegation being made against them.

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provision is inadequate

The inspection took place following concerns raised to Ofsted about the management of the nursery. As a result, it was found that there are significant weaknesses in practice and a lack of understanding by the management to meet legal requirements. During school holidays, there is no clear management structure. No senior staff were present on the day of the inspection and staff were not able to contact a representative of the nursery management. This arrangement leaves staff and children in a vulnerable position, particularly in the event of an emergency, or safeguarding concerns. Although staff have a suitable knowledge of how to identify safeguarding concerns, they are not sure of all relevant procedures. It is unclear if the management has notified Ofsted of the appointment of the current manager. It is a breach of requirements to fail to do so. Not all staff know about the nursery's policies and written policies relate to a previous setting so

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provision is inadequate

current information is not clear. Evidence was available to show that staff working with children during the holidays, and the acting manager, have appropriate background checks. However, this was not available for other staff working during term time. It is unclear if self-evaluation procedures are in place. The management is breaching many requirements and weaknesses are not being clearly identified or addressed. These weaknesses significantly compromise children's welfare.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY481578 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1024052 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 2 Total number of places 9 Number of children on roll 6 Name of provider United Learning Trust Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01295 254477

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Setting details

NOA's Ark Nursery registered in 2014 and is run by North Oxfordshire Academy, part of United Learning Trust. The nursery is located within the North Oxfordshire Academy site, in Banbury, Oxfordshire. It is open on weekdays for 51 weeks of the year from 8am until 6pm. Staff care for children under two years of age. The provider also cares for children over two years of age under its academy status. The provider employs seven staff to care for children under two years, all of whom hold relevant qualifications.

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Setting details

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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