Crime & Safety
Low Ofsted rating for Oxfordshire nursery after inspection
Oxford’s British Orchard Nursery, in Old London Road in Wheatley, was inspected by Ofsted and was found to ‘need attention’.
Inspectors raised concern about children’s achievement stating in the report that ‘the youngest children often have dummies in their mouths when they are happy and content, which limits opportunities for them to develop clear speech’.
Concerns about children’s welfare and wellbeing were also brought up stating that ‘potential hazards go unnoticed, such as heavy doors that may lead to children trapping their fingers’.
The inspection also revealed that “leaders have yet to implement a sufficiently ambitious curriculum and they do not consistently recognise or minimise possible hazards”.
Despite this, the inspection recognised that staff support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and they provide a welcoming and supportive environment.
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In 2024 the nursery received complaints about childcare provision.
Ofsted received a notification in June from the provider where a child was exposed to hazards.
The nursery also notified Ofsted of an allegation made against a member of staff.
Following regulatory visits and telephone regulatory calls from Ofsted the provider was found to not be meeting some of the requirements needed.
The nursery was asked to ensure all staff had a DBS check, some staff knew paediatric CPR, and implement better checks on all staff hired to work there.
The nursery was rated ‘requires improvement’ after its first inspection in 2019.
However inspectors in 2020 and 2023 rated the nursery as ‘good’.
- An earlier version of this article stated that Ofsted found the nursery ‘requires improvement’. This was not the exact wording used by Ofsted and we have updated the article as a result.
Swimmers of all ages and abilities can enjoy fresh air and exercise at the 50m Woodgreen open-air pool from Monday, May 18.
The Banbury Triathlon kicking off the new season with their annual event on Sunday.
Refurbishments have taken place ahead of the new season, including installing flooring for the aqua splash area and new, more durable tiles around the pool.
These follow on from last years £130,000 refurbishment.
The improvements include an accessible, step-free shower for people with disabilities.
The changing rooms and lockers have been reconfigured for ease of use.
Councillor Rob Pattenden, portfolio holder for healthy communities, said:
“We’re really pleased to be welcoming the people of Banbury and beyond for another outdoor swimming season, with further upgrades to our Woodgreen pool now complete.
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“We continue to invest in Woodgreen, not only because swimming is such a great way to improve your health and fitness, but because a facility like this has such an important role in bringing friends, families and communities together over summer.”
The Woodgreen outdoor pool is operated by Legacy Leisure on behalf of Cherwell District Council with financial contributions from Banbury Town Council.
Last year, tickets for adults cost £5.83 and £3.82 for seniors and juniors. Babies under three, go free.
Thames Valley Police said an 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an incident in Grove and is being held in police custody.
It comes after police appealed for information on a suspected assault in Grove which occurred at about 4.30pm on Thursday, May 7.
A woman was said to have been running along Mably Way towards the roundabout near Lidl, when an unknown man riding a bike approached her on the road, police say.
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As he passed, the man mounted the kerb where the woman was running and allegedly attempted to grab the hem of her shorts, police added.
The woman was not injured, but police said the incident was ‘distressing’ for her.
Following the arrest, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We would like to thank everyone who has come forward and provided information to support our investigation.
“Anyone who has information and has not yet come forward is asked to report it via our website or by calling 101, quoting the reference number 43260225323.”
People may have been startled to spot a helicopter flying low and slow over the west of the city this morning (Wednesday, May 13).
Pictures captured the moment the chopper traversed over the Osney Mead Industrial Estate at about 11.30am, revealing the bright yellow body work of the helicopter.
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The helicopter is understood to be one of the National Grid’s fleet, which are periodically deployed to check for damage or issues to the company’s infrastructure.
This includes pylons, cables, poles and overhead lines, and checking the network for issues such as encroaching vegetation and using thermal cameras to identify electricity ‘hot spots’ or overheating on the lines.
The helicopter does not necessarily mean there is a fault in the grid as helicopters regularly head out for preventative maintenance and inspections of the network.
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