Balliol Day Nursery

Inspection of Balliol Day Nursery 2a Rawlinson Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX2 6UE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are extremely well cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming environment where staff know them well and respect their individuality. Children are involved in a broad range of activities and experiences, both inside and outdoors. They benefit from easy access to a wide range of high-quality resources that are attractively presented in the learning areas. This helps to stimulate children's interest and promote the development of their skills. Children throughout the nursery are happy, settled and confident. They enjoy the time they spend at nursery, making good relationships with staff. Children behave well and play happily alongside their friends.

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The provision is good

Children's sensory development is supported very well. They confidently explore the different herbs and leaves in the sand tray and excitedly find further resources to add to the tray. Toddlers enjoy making marks in the sand, as staff model how to draw circles to promote their early mathematical knowledge. Staff model language well as children explore the texture of the pretend dinosaurs. For example, staff extended children's vocabulary as they used words such as 'spiky', 'bumpy' and 'stomping'. Early literacy skills are well supported. Children intently listen to stories and enthusiastically join in with songs and rhymes. They are beginning to have favourite songs and join in with actions and know some of the words.

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The provision is good

Children follow daily routines with confidence and show good levels of independence, even at a young age. Young children feed themselves independently using cutlery. Older children learn key skills confidently, so they are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their learning, and for school.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff consider partnerships with parents to be instrumental in supporting children's learning and to secure the ongoing development of the nursery. The manager and staff team regularly seek parents' views and communicate back to parents any changes they have made as a result of their feedback. Staff exchange information with parents about children's care and education. This contributes to plans that staff make in the nursery to support children's learning and meet their care needs. n Staff encourage children from a young age to develop a real interest in books. Toddlers select board books independently, turn the pages and point at the pictures. Staff engage children well as they animatedly read familiar stories, such as, 'The Gruffalo'. Younger children join in with familiar words and phrases and show high levels of engagement at story time. n The manager has a clear vision for the nursery. She aims to provide a home-

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need to do better?

from-home environment. Staff provide a nurturing environment for children in

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need to do better?

18 February 2020 which they quickly settle, develop secure attachments to staff and show that they feel safe. n Staff plan the curriculum so that it covers all areas of learning effectively. They assess children's abilities from information gathered from parents and their own observations. Overall, they plan the curriculum to support individual children's needs. However, on occasions, staff do not make the most of this time to extend and challenge children's learning further, to help them learn as much as they can. n Staff prepare children for life, helping them to learn about respecting others and developing their understanding of the similarities and differences of the friends and staff around them. Children are given a range of rich experiences to understand how different people live and how they celebrate. They frequently visit Oxford, accessing an array of local facilities. For example, children are

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need to do better?

excited to be visiting the local dinosaur museum at half term. n Children benefit from daily exercise outdoors and follow good hygiene procedures. For example, children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of physical play opportunities and benefit from the improved outside area. Staff promote children's physical well-being and their understanding of healthy lifestyles very well. For instance, children enjoy a range of high-quality meals and enjoy their regular yoga sessions. n Staff speak highly of the support they receive from the manager and the management committee. They have regular meetings where they can discuss their ideas and plan professional development. Staff clearly enjoy their work. They say they feel part of a team and value their colleagues' support and advice. The manager undertakes regular supervision and observation of staff. Staff are encouraged to observe each other's interactions with children and improve their

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need to do better?

teaching practice. However, this is in its infancy and there is still scope for continuous professional development opportunities to focus more precisely on raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff can identify signs that a child may be at risk of harm. They are aware of a wide range of safeguarding issues and regularly access training to increase their knowledge. The manager understands her responsibility to report any concerns about children to the appropriate professionals and to keep robust records. The manager follows strict recruitment procedures and completes rigorous checks to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so. Staff support children and their families excellently in teaching them about when children may be at risk, including when using the internet and digital technology.

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should:

18 February 2020 n extend staff interaction and engagement to facilitate more learning and challenge to the children, to help support them to learn as much as possible n enhance the professional development programme for staff to improve the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 134032 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10128565 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 14 Name of registered person Balliol Day Nursery Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01865 515 654 Date of previous inspection 14 October 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Balliol Day Nursery registered in 1994 and is located in North Oxford. It is run by a committee consisting of Fellows of Balliol College. The nursery opens five days a week from 8.45am until 5pm for 46 weeks of the year with closed periods at Christmas, Easter and in August. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery employs seven staff, of whom six hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and above.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a walk with the manager through all areas of the premises used by the children. n Parents shared their views through written feedback, questionnaires and discussions with the inspector. The inspector took these views into account. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions during activities and assessed the impact on children's enjoyment and engagement. n The inspector looked at a sample of the documentation. This included evidence of suitability, and training records.

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Inspection activities

18 February 2020 We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

18 February 2020 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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