The Old Station Nursery, Bampton

The Old Station Nursery, Bampton

Unique reference number (URN): EY555154 Address: Bowling Green Close, Bampton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2NJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/12/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Old Station Nursery Limited

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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 Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge and skills they need for their future learning. Children benefit from a learning environment that allows them to make choices and engage at their own level. They build their communication and language through songs, books, conversations and play. Children join in confidently with group activities, form positive relationships and show growing resilience as they explore and learn. For example, older children talk enthusiastically about their experiences of nighttime, sharing when they have seen 'owls' and 'stars'.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are becoming more confident and more socially aware as they explore activities, independently make their own choices and build positive relationships with others. Older children follow routines well. They proudly dress and undress themselves for dressing-up activities. Younger children feed themselves and manage familiar routines with confidence. Children are happy and engaged and show growing curiosity during imaginative play, sensory experiences and outdoor physical play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show they feel safe, secure and confident as they play and explore throughout the day. Leaders and staff have created a calm, nurturing and inclusive environment. Their expectations are clear and routines are well established. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They listen well, follow instructions and take part in activities with interest and persistence. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance. This helps children to settle well, build confidence and prepare for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build warm and trusting relationships with staff and with one another. Staff in the rooms for older children help children to recognise and manage their awareness of the behaviour that is expected. This supports their self-esteem and sense of belonging. However, staff do not consistently help younger children to understand why certain behaviours are not wanted. At times, staff redirect children's behaviour without explaining the reasons behind expectations. This means younger children do not consistently learn how their actions affect others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff provide activities that help children to learn about the world and develop a sense of community through meaningful experiences with the wider world. For example, older children learn about real foods in their play and use these to pretend to make broccoli and cheese soup. Younger children enjoy learning about the topic 'people who help them'. They play with fire engines, ambulances and police cars alongside pictures of local fire stations and doctors. Staff use these experiences to help children to recognise familiar roles in their community and understand how different people help keep them safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are happy and settled. They show they feel emotionally secure in this warm and nurturing nursery environment. Children have built close attachments with their key person and other familiar adults. This helps them to confidently seek comfort and support when they need it. Staff know children and their families well. They work closely with parents and carers to meet their children's individual welfare and wellbeing needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff generally support children to learn about healthy lifestyles and physical wellbeing. Children enjoy a range of freshly prepared, balanced and nutritious meals. Staff maximise opportunities during mealtimes to teach children about healthy eating, where food comes from and the importance of brushing their teeth. Children of all ages enjoy fresh air and exercise through daily outdoor play. Children access many activities that help them to develop coordination and confidence for physical development as they play outdoors. Older children develop skills to help them manage safety and risk. For example, they are included in helping complete risk assessments in the garden before going out to play. Children's independence is promoted well throughout the setting. Older children manage routines confidently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children show that they feel safe and secure in the setting. Staff support them sensitively during moves to the next room, helping them to build confidence and independence over time. Overall, hygiene practices are maintained well, and the majority of staff follow the nursery's procedures effectively. Occasionally, some staff do not follow these practices as consistently as expected. For example, some staff forget to wash their hands after wiping children's noses before helping at mealtimes. Some staff do not cool children's food in an appropriate way or ensure that they hold the appropriate parts of feeding bottles. This means that not all staff ensure that they follow the highest standards of hygiene expected by leaders.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff share a clear vision for what they want children to learn and experience. The curriculum is broad, well planned and based on children's interests. This helps children to build the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning. Staff understand what they want children to know and be able to do. They plan activities that support children's communication, confidence, independence and wellbeing. The learning environment is set up so children can explore a wide range of activities, including creative play, mark making, sand and water. Staff support children's imaginative play and early mathematical learning well during activities. Children take part in small-group times that help them feel part of the nursery community and build positive relationships with others. For example, children sing the welcome song to learn the names of their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, teaching across the nursery is positive, and many staff interact well with children. Staff generally extend children's thinking through effective questioning. They typically introduce new vocabulary as they offer a narrative to children's play and read many stories. Staff know their key children well and use their knowledge to support their progress. However, at times, some teaching is not consistent. Some staff focus more on supervising children than purposeful interaction. This means learning opportunities are sometimes missed. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is inclusive, and staff provide the right levels of support so all children can access learning and make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children learn in an environment where everyone is welcomed. Staff value and support children's individual needs, backgrounds and wellbeing. They know children and their families well. Staff understand their roles in identifying and reducing any barriers to children's learning at the earliest stage. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and, when needed, professionals such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that support is in place as soon as it is required. Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to support all children, including those who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have an effective understanding of how to use early years funding appropriately. They allocate it carefully to close gaps in children's learning and to strengthen their progress. Leaders use funding to purchase high-quality and targeted resources that reflect children's interests and support specific areas of development. For example, children who enjoy animals now have an animal-themed lotto game that was bought especially to support their learning and interests. This helps them to generally engage in more focused activities that build on their next steps to build relationships, take turns and develop early mathematical skills in a fun way.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate that they are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all children and families feel welcomed, valued and supported. They have an accurate understanding of what the setting does well and what practices need to be sharpened further. Leaders are taking clear steps to improve the quality of provision and are giving staff consistent support. All staff receive coaching, peer observations and targeted training to help build their knowledge and skills. These approaches are starting to make a positive difference. However, leaders know that teaching and interactions are not yet consistently high across the setting. They recognise some staff still need further support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders support staff wellbeing successfully. Staff comment that they feel valued through training opportunities and regular meetings and check-ins. Leaders monitor staff suitability carefully. Following a recent notification to Ofsted, the leadership team has strengthened whistleblowing and associated referral procedures to ensure that these processes are more rigorous and transparent.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established robust and trusting relationships with parents and carers, who speak highly of the setting. Parents consistently praise the support their children receive. They report that staff play a significant role in helping their children develop, achieve and feel confident. Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibility to work effectively with other professionals involved in children's care. They engage in purposeful information-sharing to ensure that children's learning and development are supported consistently, while supporting their individual needs.

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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 are happy and confident at the nursery. They receive a warm welcome from leaders and staff, who know them well. Children benefit from a learning environment that is attractively set up and ready. They access inviting activities that support children's interests and cover areas of learning. Overall, staff engage well with children and support their learning effectively throughout the day. Staff know children well and understand their individual needs. They work closely with parents and carers and recognise the importance of positive partnerships with other professionals when required. This ensures that any children who may face barriers to learning or with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely and appropriate support as required. As a result, children make steady progress from their starting points.

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

Children are enthusiastic learners who confidently explore their environment. Younger children enjoy singing sessions. They explore different media and materials, such as bubbles, during outdoor play. Pre-school children take part in imaginative role play, using real vegetables and herbs as they pretend to cook. These experiences help them to make sense of real-life situations and develop positive social skills.

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

Children benefit from their communication and language development being promoted well. They enjoy listening to stories, recalling familiar tales and watching props being used to bring narratives to life. Children follow staff's lead when threading beads or exploring soil and water. This helps children to develop new vocabulary and their understanding through hands-on experiences. Staff interactions, overall, support children's growing confidence and language skills. Children receive effective support for their physical development. Older children climb the steps of the climbing frame, balance on boards and play games, such as catching balls with staff. This helps them to build coordination and strength.

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

Children are cared for with warmth and consistency. They feel safe and form positive relationships. Children are often heard giggling together during imaginative play, such as pretending to be ducks or dogs chasing balls. Activities such as these provide a positive experience for children, helping them achieve well and gain the skills they need for future learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to maintain a more consistent approach for the younger children to help build on their understanding of how to manage their feelings and behaviours. Leaders should support staff to consistently follow and teach robust hygiene practices to promote children's health and help them to manage their personal care needs. Leaders should strengthen opportunities for reflective practice to enhance staff expertise and embed continuous improvement, while also sharpening their focus on the teaching of the curriculum to ensure consistently high-quality interactions that extend children's thinking and learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children, parents and carers and the designated safeguarding lead 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

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Address:

Bowling Green Close Bampton Oxfordshire OX18 2NJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Old Station Nursery Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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