Courtyard Preschool

Courtyard Preschool Courtyard Youth Centre, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6DJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31 January 2017 9 February 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The management team has worked hard to ensure the quality of the provision has improved since the last inspection. The actions taken to drive changes within the pre- school have been successful. The manager has worked well with advisers from the local authority to implement new ways of working.  Children's learning is carefully tracked to ensure that any children that may need additional help are identified at an early stage. Staff work well in partnership with other professionals such as health visitors and family workers, to ensure that children and families get the support they need.  Partnerships with parents work well. Information regarding children's care is shared between parents and staff. This helps new children to settle in quickly.  Assessments of children's learning, including the progress check at age two, are accurate. Information from parents about what children already know and can do is

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This provision is good

used effectively to identify children's starting points.  Children form warm relationships with staff and go to them for help or reassurance when needed. There is a friendly atmosphere within the pre-school and both children and parents are warmly welcomed.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Systems to monitor the quality of teaching are in place, but require further development to ensure that teaching continues to improve and becomes of very high quality.  Some children, especially boys, are not achieving as well in the area of mathematical development as might be expected.

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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

 sharpen the monitoring of the quality of teaching in order to ensure it is consistently of a very high standard  review the strategies for promoting children's mathematical development to ensure that all children make good progress in this area of learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to some parents and took their views about the pre-school into account.  The inspector observed staff's teaching and children's learning both inside and outdoors.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector sampled the pre-school documentation including records of children's learning, staff files and the pre-school's self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Self-evaluation is accurate. The manager has created a positive culture of improvement within the pre-school. The stable staff team work closely and form a well-knit team. They are supportive and communicate well with each other. This ensures that important information about children is shared effectively. Staff are good role models for children, demonstrating kindness and cooperation. Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures that staff's knowledge of how to keep children safe is up-to-date. For example, she conducts spot quizzes and provides briefings at team meetings. The pre-school works closely with other agencies to protect children and staff understand their roles and responsibilities

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have benefitted from many opportunities to learn more about the early years foundation stage since the last inspection. Their enhanced knowledge, along with improved leadership, means the quality of teaching is now consistently good. Children arrive at the pre-school eager to play and they settle quickly to the wide range of activities on offer. Staff's planning is now more focused on children's interests. Many children concentrate for long periods, for example, when manipulating dough or completing a jigsaw. Outcomes for children, and groups of children, are now being carefully analysed. Overall, children, including those with low starting points, make good progress. Outcomes for disadvantaged children are improving because additional funding is well used. Staff's accurate assessment shows the children are catching up with their peers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff speak clearly and kindly, helping children to build their confidence and their communication and language skills. Staff understand the importance of teaching the basics well in order to help children to be ready for school. Children respond well to staff. Even the youngest and newest children demonstrate that they feel secure and comfortable. Children are encouraged to become inquisitive learners, for example, staff ask them to think about how they could join a train to a carriage. Children can now make more choices in their play and select their own resources. They behave well because they are busy exploring. Children are encouraged to have a go, for example, they enjoy practising how to pour milk at snack time.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are introduced to healthy lifestyles and develop good physical skills as they play outside in the fresh air. They learn independent skills such as washing their own hands. They are beginning to manage their own personal needs such as when they dress themselves. Children enjoy singing sessions. The older ones join in eagerly with the words of nursery rhymes. Older children are also becoming aware of the structure of stories, such as Goldilocks. Younger children focus intently and develop good control as they, for example, scoop and pour lentils into different size containers.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY425284 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 1073689 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Sarah Jayne Boucher

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 February 2016 Telephone number 07766913026

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reference number

Courtyard Preschool registered in 2011 under private ownership. The pre-school has been on the current site in the Courtyard Youth Centre in Bicester, for over 40 years. It is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 30 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. The pre-school employs seven members of staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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