Balliol Day Nursery

Balliol Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 134032 Address: 2a Rawlinson Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6UE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/10/1994 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Balliol Day Nursery Committee

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children consistently make secure progress and are well prepared for their next stage of development. They explore an enriching environment that motivates them to try new things and follow their interests. This enables them to become successful learners, who take pride in their achievements. Children demonstrate confidence as they explore the nursery, freely sharing their ideas during play. For example, they show great curiosity when engaging with play dough, adding natural resources to create their own wreaths. They are fascinated by the different herbs and spices they use, proudly describing their creations and celebrating their masterpieces.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children and babies are highly supported by staff, who listen attentively to them and remain focused on meeting their individual needs. Children's independence is a key priority within the nursery. During snack time, babies are supported to feed themselves independently and through skilled guidance and encouragement, babies develop growing independence and are praised for their achievements in feeding themselves.

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Achievement Strong standard

Communication and language development are key priorities and, as a result, children make excellent progress from their starting points. Children experience a carefully planned, language-rich environment. Through high quality and meaningful interactions, babies build their early communication and language skills and older children share books that introduce new vocabulary and ideas that motivate them to discover more. Children who need additional support are supported using strategies that enable them to develop successfully alongside their peers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff build strong relationships with children and families and demonstrate clear and consistent routines. Managers have embedded a harmonious and respectful culture, celebrating children as individuals. Staff are highly effective in supporting and teaching children to manage their own feelings and this helps children to develop secure emotional relationships. Children confidently follow well-established routines and need little support from staff. During snack time, children independently wash hands and enjoy the independence of pouring their own drink and choosing their own snack.

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Expected standard

Staff are excellent role models, which is observed in children's behaviours. Children give time to their friends and are kind to each other. They need very little adult support, when taking turns and thinking of solutions during activities. Outside, children find solutions in finding and sharing more 'magic water' when it runs out, showing positive attitudes not only in their learning but towards each other.

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Expected standard

Routines to keep children safe are well established and embedded within the routines of the setting. Managers understand the importance of children's regular attendance. They work in partnership with parents, ensuring learning opportunities are not missed because of reduced attendance. Settling-in procedures are highly successful and regularly reviewed. Babies settle well and are curious to explore their surroundings. Children and staff share positive relationships. Children, including those needing additional support, thrive from having successful key-person arrangements in place.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Managers and staff know children exceptionally well and prioritise their inclusion in all aspects of the nursery. Staff meet the needs of all children through highly effective partnerships with parents and have created a nurturing, home-from-home environment that celebrates each child's unique qualities. Inclusive practice is embedded across the nursery and managers and staff work effectively in reducing barriers to learning. Children with emerging needs are recognised quickly by staff who know them best and parental views and aspirations of children are highly valued and included in all decision making.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children progress is closely monitored by staff and outside agencies. They work together to develop appropriate and effective strategies to meet each child's needs. Staff focus highly on children needing support with their well-being, and having the right strategies and reassurance consistently in place. This enables these children to become confident and settled.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The nursery has recently introduced Makaton, which is currently in the early stages of development. This inclusive approach supports all children in developing their communication and language skills. Both children and staff learn a 'sign of the week,' which is used consistently during interactions. During a 'sing and sign' activity, children enthusiastically join in with the signs for 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm'. This engaging activity provides a positive learning experience and enables all children to make progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Managers and staff prioritise children's wellbeing and sense of belonging in the nursery. The effective settling-in process creates positive attachments as key persons know children extremely well. Staff show interest in children by engaging in purposeful conversations relating to their interests. Staff create enabling environments that are engaging and well thought out. Children benefit from spaces for quieter times and have areas for busy play. Staff help children gain confidence in recognising and managing their feelings and carefully support them in managing their own wellbeing. Activities are adapted well, to meet the needs of children and this enables the children to thrive. Children happily explore physical experiences outside on balance bikes, that build their strength, balance and coordination.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are supported through well-structured routines to be highly independent and are encouraged to make their own decisions. Staff consistently role model good manners and hygiene practice, such as washing hands before mealtimes. Children learn about healthy eating as they share home-cooked meals altogether at lunchtime and enjoy conversations with staff about the food they are eating. Children are encouraged to do physical activities outside that support their wellbeing. They enjoy thoughtfully planned leaning opportunities as they plant seasonal herbs, vegetables and flowers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that is well planned and sequenced to meet the needs of all children, overall. Staff use accurate assessments of what children can do and closely monitor progress, creating next steps of development which are shared regularly with parents. Staff have generally high expectations for children and have a good understanding of child development. Staff follow children's interests well, having a deep understanding on what drives and motivates them to learn, enabling them to be successful learners.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The nursery creates a language-rich environment, providing staff opportunities to positively interact with children and develop their communication and language skills. Children seek out staff to sing happy birthday and blow out imaginary candles on a tall drum that has become the birthday cake. An understanding of how interactions can drive teaching and learning is positively taking shape, although this remains an area of continued development in ensuring every interaction is high quality.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a rich environment in which children are highly engaged, providing activities that enable children to explore using their imaginations. For example, children explore their senses and physical skills as they cut through lemons and limes. They enjoy rich conversations full of new language that is modelled by staff. During mindfulness activities, mathematical concepts are explicitly taught. Children count the breaths they are taking and learn new concepts of size when comparing different lengths of rosemary and sage that have been grown in the garden.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Managers understand the setting's context well. They ensure all practices are ambitious and drive improvement, while ensuring that all learning and development are prioritised. Managers and staff work effectively with parents and promote a family and community feel through their celebrations.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Managers are passionate about the staffing team and focus intently on their wellbeing, ensuring that they have protected time to plan efficiently for their key children. Staff in turn feel well supported and highly valued. Regular supervision meetings are held to support the staffing team and within this forum, further professional development is discussed. Managers have high overall expectations of the staff and in turn staff have equally high expectations of children that attend the setting. However, managers are not yet using supervision meetings well enough to enable staff to take every opportunity to extend children's learning. In addition, training to meet staff's individual needs is not yet sufficiently focused on identified areas for improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Managers have a clear view of the setting's strengths and typically have an awareness of what needs to improve. Alongside staff, they consistently demonstrate a strong partnership with parents that highly benefits the children that attend, creating a positive foundation for learning and development.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children excitedly enter this nurturing nursery, described by parents as 'home from home'. Children are warmly welcomed by dedicated staff and confidently separate from their parents. They happily hang up their coats and bags and are curious to explore their environment. Secure relationships are forged between children, parents and staff from the beginning, which has enabled staff to individualise children's care and learning. Parents feel very well supported through regular personalised updates as staff carefully monitor children's progress and share next steps in learning. Staff and parents work together in partnership and children with additional needs or barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing are highly supported.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are encouraged to be strong and independent and are highly supported by staff to be confident and inquisitive learners. For example, as children cut lemons and limes staff help them to use knives safely and encourage them to explore the fruit in detail. Staff develop children's communication and language by exposing them to new vocabulary and singing songs. Children are highly motivated and excited to learn. All children inclusively experience an ambitious well-sequenced curriculum that develops them from their individual starting points, in readiness for their next stages of learning. Staff know children extremely well, which is evident as they celebrate the diverse culture within the nursery. Children experience rich opportunities of learning as they explore different festivals, supporting their understanding of the world around them.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Managers and staff set high expectations for all children in the nursery. Staff support children to understand their own feelings and recognise the emotions of others, which supports them in resolving situations independently. Staff act as positive and respectful role models. This encourages children to treat one another with kindness and respect. Children feel safe, secure and settled within the nursery. They benefit from managers and staff, who value each child's individuality and personal circumstances. Children feel valued and are able to grow and thrive in the setting.

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Next steps

Managers should continue to mentor practitioners, to extend teaching to respond to a child's emerging thinking. Managers should continue professional development that is high quality and specific to the needs of practitioners.

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Address:

2a Rawlinson Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 6UE

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Balliol Day Nursery Committee

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 17:00

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with managers, staff and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator during the inspection. The inspector also spoke with parents and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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