Chestnuts Pre-school

Chestnuts Pre-school

Unique reference number (URN): 148645 Address: 32 Chestnut Avenue, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 3RS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 04/07/1984 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: 'Chestnuts' Pre- School 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. They create a calm environment and promote consistent messages that support children's understanding of the group rules well. Staff provide sensitive support when children need help managing their emotions. They encourage children to express their feelings and to talk through their worries. This successfully supports children who are less confident to join in and try new things. Leaders monitor children's attendance carefully. Staff work with families to understand any barriers and offer guidance to help improve punctuality and engagement. As a result, children attend regularly, settle quickly on arrival and benefit from the continuity for their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff make effective use of opportunities, such as group games, to support children's understanding of turn-taking. For example, during a card game, staff sit alongside children and demonstrate how to take turns and celebrate each other's success. Children respond well to this clear structure and wait patiently for they turn. They listen to others and show pride when they play fairly. Staff reinforce behaviours with gentle praise and reminders. This helps children understand what positive behaviour looks and feels like. Children behave well and have developed strong friendships with their peers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted consistently. Staff build warm, positive relationships that help children feel settled. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who benefit from one-to-one support. Staff respond kindly to children's individual needs and offer high levels of reassurance to develop confidence and a sense of belonging. For example, staff spend time with children, building a favourite puzzle together or snuggling up to read a story.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Familiar routines have a noticeable impact on children's sense of security and readiness to learn. Staff encourage children to play an active role throughout the day, such as at snack routines and tidy up moments. This consistency helps children make a contribution in the setting and supports them to regulate their emotions well, including when change happens. Staff ensure robust attention to children's safety, including outdoors. For example, when it began snowing during outdoor play, staff checked that children were appropriately dressed and that the outdoor area remained safe. Children were able to stay outside and delight in watching the snow drift down around them. Staff use this moment to encourage language, curiosity and shared joy, while supporting children to keep themselves safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders hold an accurate assessment of the quality of the curriculum and prioritise improvements that benefit children. They identify children with additional needs early and have made some adaptions to the curriculum. The action taken so far has proved to be successful in helping children feel emotionally safe and given them a strong foundation for learning. However, leaders recognise that more can be done to adapt the curriculum so that this is better matched to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff provide a wide range of daily activities that provide a suitable level of engagement overall. This includes adapting activities, including for groups of children who prefer to spend time outside. Staff use their knowledge of what children need to learn next to provide experiences that promote early thinking skills well overall. For example, staff introduce new vocabulary to support children's understanding of mathematical concepts, such as quantity and measure, during sensory play activities. Staff support children to make predictions and solve simple problems while they fill small containers. This successfully sparks children's curiosity and supports them to make connections between their magical potion making and the language to describe it.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Recent changes in leadership and staffing have brought greater stability to the setting. This is having a positive impact on daily practice and staff's workload. Leaders make constructive use of external advice, including the local authority and professionals. Priorities for improvement stem from an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for future development. To date, leaders have acted promptly on guidance given to strengthen areas, such as curriculum planning, inclusion and safeguarding. For example, a review of staff deployment has led to improved supervision of children at mealtimes. This has also successfully supported children's understanding of managing personal safety while eating.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders hold effective oversight of staffing matters, including induction procedures. This enables new staff to settle quickly and understand routines and safeguarding responsibilities in line with leaders expectations. Ongoing training is well planned, accessible and focused firmly on the emerging needs of the children. This is supporting staff to develop their knowledge and confidence, particularly for groups of children who require additional help in their learning. Staff speak positively about recent changes, including improvements to their workload and the support for their personal development. The new leadership and governance of this setting is strengthening and driving future improvement more effectively.

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Achievement Needs attention

Most children make typical and steady progress from their starting points and develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their learning, including communication and language. They engage readily in activities where they show an eagerness to problem- solve, showing a good understanding of mathematical concepts, such as more or less. Improvements to the assessment processes now provide staff with a clearer picture of each child's progress. However, achievement is not yet consistent for all groups of children and particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Weaknesses in how staff plan for children's learning and variations in the support they provide impacts on the progress some children make. As a result, children with SEND are not making the best possible progress.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and staff are committed to supporting all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with parents and external professionals to ensure accurate assessments capture children's emerging needs. However, staff show varying levels of confidence in adapting the curriculum to meet children's individual needs. As a result, activities are not always planned or adapted well enough to ensure they are accessible to all children.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have accurately identified variations in support for SEND as a priority. They have started to implement strategies, such as small-group activities, including 'bucket time', to promote children's listening and attention skills. Staff adapt this game well to suit the varying needs of children in the group. However, the same level of attention does not extend to children's self-chosen play or to the one-to-one daily support provided for some children. Currently, this is not specific enough to narrow gaps in learning. This also impacts on the quality of children's experiences overall. Leaders support families to access any additional funding available. They make suitable use of early years pupil premium to purchase specific resources that reflect the needs of the children it is intended for.

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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 arrive happy and ready to learn. They are greeted warmly by staff and settle quickly. This has been a significant achievement for some children who, through the sensitive support of staff, have overcome the challenges they faced previously with attendance.

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

Children enjoy a wide range of experiences that support their learning. These are made meaningful for children as staff are on hand to provide encouragement and well placed support, as required. For example, children were motivated by an activity designed to support their understanding of how the body works. They referred to the examples of X-rays and followed their own ideas to create life-sized drawings of themselves on paper. Children expertly drew parts of the body, including their lungs and heart. They demonstrated an impressive awareness of why exercise and staying healthy matters. Staff used this opportunity well to celebrate diversity and uniqueness. Children proudly displayed their artwork in a gallery for their friends. These opportunities celebrate children's efforts and supports their sense of belonging.

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

Staff encourage children to play an active role in the setting. For example, they create opportunities for children to take ownership of small tasks, which supports children's confidence and independence effectively. Children show a keenness do things for themselves. They show determination and perseverance, even when they find tasks difficult. Children have developed strong friendships and enjoy the company of their friends. These positive daily experiences help children feel emotionally safe and provides a strong foundation towards the next stage of their education.

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

Staff do not fully implement effective strategies to meet the individual learning needs of children, in particular when they need additional support. This means, at times, some children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, may not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Address:

32 Chestnut Avenue Wokingham Berkshire RG41 3RS

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: 'Chestnuts' Pre- School Committee

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:00

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, the manager, the staff, the children and the parents 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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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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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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