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 8 January 2016 18 August 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Children do not always benefit from a consistent approach to their learning and development. The manager and staff have not fully established systems for sharing information with parents to form accurate assessments of their learning needs.  Staff do not always make the most of opportunities to encourage children to share their own knowledge and ideas.  At times, staff do not take account of children's changing interests when providing activities to help them to remain engaged in learning at all times.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff offer lots of support for children who speak English as an additional language. They offer plenty of experiences to share and develop children's home language and help others to begin to compare differences.  Children learn effective hygiene practices, enjoy healthy snacks and meals, and daily fresh air and exercise. They develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.  The manager works in close partnerships with other professionals to evaluate and improve the provision. She has made many improvements since the last inspection. For example, the staff induction procedures have improved and staff now have a suitable understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the nursery.

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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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Due Date

 establish more effective systems for sharing information about children's care and learning with parents to improve the accuracy of assessments and enable staff to target teaching more effectively. 15/02/2016

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 increase the opportunities for children to share their ideas and views during play  extend the flexibility of learning activities so that they follow children's interest and help them to remain engaged at all times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector had discussions with the children, staff and the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and through written feedback.  The inspector looked at a range of relevant documentation relating to safeguarding and staff suitability as well as policies, procedures and progress records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Since their last inspection, the manager has improved the monitoring and support for staff in completing observations and planning. She carries out regular observations on staff practice to help her to improve the outcomes for children; however, staff do not gather information from parents to help them to form starting points and increase the accuracy of each child's assessments. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff attend regular training to update their knowledge. They have a suitable understanding of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff carry out daily checks around the premises to help to minimise any risk and keep children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff provide a suitable range of resources and environments to promote all areas of learning; however, there are some inconsistencies in the teaching skills of staff. At times, children do not have opportunities to share their own ideas and knowledge. Staff do not always recognise when children have lost interest in planned activities and want to move on to other games or learning activities. Staff offer a range of activities to promote mathematics. For example, babies enjoy building towers and staff introduce numbers as they count the blocks. Staff challenge older children to count the carriages on the toy trains. Children develop their literacy skills well. For example, they enthusiastically join in an activity as they take turns to practise recognising and writing letters.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff offer a calm and welcoming environment. Children settle into activities quickly on arrival and explore the nursery with confidence. Staff develop close relationships with the children and tend to their care needs well. For example, they sing babies' favourite nursery rhymes as they change their nappies. Children behave well. Staff help them to successfully share and take turns with others during their play. Staff support children's independence skills effectively to build their self-confidence. For example, children learn to dress themselves and wash their hands before mealtimes. Children begin to develop an understanding of safety. For example, they take care as they practise using tools such as scissors during their play. The manager and staff form strong links with other provisions and the attached school. For example, they invite other professionals to the nursery and take children on visits to meet new teachers and carers.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop confidence and positive self-esteem, which helps them prepare emotionally for their move to school. However, assessment arrangements are not effective enough to ensure that they always make the best possible progress in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY481578 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1025972 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider United Learning Trust Date of previous inspection 18 August 2015 Telephone number 01295 254477

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Setting details

NOA's Ark Nursery registered in 2014. It 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. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery employs 10 members of staff to care for children. The manager and a senior member of staff hold Early Years Professional Status and, of the remaining staff, six have relevant qualifications between level 2 and level 3.

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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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