Courtyard Preschool

Courtyard Pre-school Courtyard Youth Centre, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6DJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 September 2015 4 November 2014

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not always have sufficient opportunities to discuss their training and development needs. This hinders the improvements they can make to their teaching.  The procedures to protect children are not in line with current guidance. Subsequently, not enough action is taken to safeguard children.  Recruitment procedures are weak and do not demonstrate that a robust vetting process takes place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.  Systems to make sure the pre-school continually improves are weak. Most action that has been taken is related to development points raised at the last inspection, slowing the rate of further improvements overall.  The risk assessment process is weak and does not identify how children will be kept safe from harm. Staff fail to follow appropriate action when hazards are identified. This puts children at risk, particularly when staff deployment is poor.

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This provision is inadequate

 During the morning routine, some children do not immediately engage in activities because staff are still preparing some areas of the environment as they arrive.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are settled in the pre-school. They have warm and positive relationships with staff. A sensitive settling-in process means that children grow in confidence as they explore their new surroundings.  Children enjoy playing and exploring the outdoor environment and are provided with opportunities to develop their physical skills.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure that an effective policy and procedure to safeguard children is implemented at all times, and includes an explanation of the action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff and is in line with the guidance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board 01/10/2015

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff understand the safeguarding policy and procedures and have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues to enable them to respond in a timely and appropriate way to any concerns about possible abuse or neglect 01/10/2015

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Due Date

 implement effective recruitment processes to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children 01/10/2015

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Due Date

 ensure there are systems in place for staff supervision, coaching and support to encourage an ongoing process of professional development 01/10/2015

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Due Date

 ensure that risk assessments identify all risks to children, what steps will be taken to remove or minimise these risks, and that these are adhered to consistently by staff. 01/10/2015

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 develop the systems for monitoring the quality of the pre-school to ensure that areas for improvement are quickly identified, sharply focused and contribute towards continuous improvement 20/11/2015

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Due Date

 provide a stimulating environment during the morning routine which supports children when settling in, ensures that they are fully engaged in the activities and resources provided, and their individual needs are met. 20/11/2015

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed staff and children during activities, inside and outside to assess the quality of teaching.  The inspectors held discussions with parents to take account of their views.  The inspectors conducted a joint observation and held a meeting with the manager, who is also the owner.  The inspectors viewed a range of documents, including staff files, records of children's learning, and policies.  The inspection was carried out following a risk assessment conducted by Ofsted.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective because the policies and procedures to protect children do not reflect current guidance provided by the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Consequently, there has been a failure to take appropriate action to keep children safe. Although steps have been taken to address areas of weakness highlighted at the last inspection, the system in place for evaluating the quality of the provision does not always focus on ongoing improvement. Procedures for staff recruitment do not demonstrate that robust checks, in addition to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, are carried out to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Although there is a supervision process in place for staff, it does not effectively provide an opportunity to fully identify any specific coaching or training needs for staff to drive improvements in practice at a faster pace.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff make regular assessments of children's progress. Improvements made to the key- person system mean that parents are encouraged to contribute to initial assessments. This provides staff with an accurate picture of what children can do when they start at the setting and enables them to plan to meet children’s individual needs. Subsequently, relevant activities are provided which adequately challenge children and prepare them for their next stage of learning. Staff help children to develop their inquisitive and mathematical skills through child-initiated activities. For example, children are encouraged to find out how many pots of sand it will take them for them to fill a bucket as they try to build a sandcastle. Staff provide a suitable range of resources for children both indoors and outdoors. However, the routine in place when they arrive means that some children are not immediately engaged in activities which interest them to fully extend their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Staff do not fully understand the correct process to follow if they have concerns about a child’s welfare. This means they cannot take appropriate action to keep children safe. Staff do not always deploy themselves well to ensure that children are fully supervised when using the larger apparatus, to prevent them from harming themselves or other children. Therefore children's sense of personal safety is not consistently promoted. The key-person system works well to support children when they first start at the setting, meaning that they settle quickly and children and staff have formed warm, positive relationships. Children learn about healthy lifestyles through plenty of opportunities to promote their physical skills in the outdoor area and the provision of nutritious snacks.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

The management has recently implemented a system to monitor the progress all children make, so that any gaps in learning are identified and addressed promptly. However, this process is new. Initial analysis indicates that children are generally working within typical levels expected for their age.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY425284 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1006148 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Sarah Jayne Boucher Date of previous inspection 4 November 2014 Telephone number 07766913026

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Setting details

Courtyard Preschool registered in 2011 under new private ownership. The pre-school has been on the current site in the Courtyard Youth Centre in Bicester, for over 40 years. The intake of children is from the local area and accommodation consists of a playroom and facilities within the centre. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 38 children on roll in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It opens in school term times, on weekdays from 9.10am to 2.50pm. There is an optional lunch club and some children attend for the full day. Support is offered to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff currently support children for whom English is an additional language. The pre-school employs seven members of staff, six of them hold appropriate early years 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

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Setting details

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