Walton Pre-School

Walton Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): 203482 Address: Walton Community Centre, Standley Road, WALTON ON THE NAZE, Essex, CO14 8PT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/05/2000 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Walton Pre-School

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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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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders and staff create a deeply inclusive culture that transforms lives, grounded in a thorough understanding of the diverse and complex circumstances within the community. They identify children's needs early through rigorous tracking, a clear step-by-step approach to assessing children's needs and inspiring partnerships with families and agencies. Children who have experienced family disruption receive highly personalised support, regular multi-agency reviews and carefully adapted routines that prioritise their emotional security. As a result, children who arrive nonverbal or extremely withdrawn are able to initiate conversations, form friendships and engage confidently in learning.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders remove barriers decisively. They use funding to provide innovative one-to-one interventions, visual aids and safety support for children. Through community larders, holiday hunger schemes, uniform banks and practical help such as providing beds and cookers, children arrive settled, nourished and ready to learn.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders rebuild children's and families' trust in the police through positive visits from local officers, transforming fear linked to domestic violence into curiosity and respect. Leaders work seamlessly with a homeless shelter to maintain continuity when families move homes, reducing trauma and disruption. Staff train extensively in speech and language, autism and trauma-informed practice. They share activities and daily guidance to increase parents' knowledge. As a result, families grow in confidence in extending learning at home and break cycles of disadvantage. Children experience exemplary stability. This sustained support raises aspirations, enabling children to see themselves as capable, valued and full of potential.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders demonstrate unwavering moral purpose and an uncompromising commitment to improving the life chances of children in this area of significant deprivation and who may face acute hardship. They know their community intimately and shape provision around lived realities, including domestic violence, homelessness and disadvantage.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders have transformed outcomes for children way beyond the classroom. They have innovatively established a community larder and holiday-hunger support so that children arrive nourished and ready to learn. Oral health is a notable strength of the setting. Leaders have successfully made a case for 2-year-old children to access supervised toothbrushing and secured more dental appointments for vulnerable families. Children enjoy brushing their teeth independently using sand timers and understand hygiene routines, and families increasingly engage at home. This has significantly reduced stigma and improved healthy habits.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders rebuild children's trust in the police through regular, positive visits, replacing deeply rooted fear with understanding and confidence. Children who once associated police with trauma now demonstrate a powerful shift in their sense of understanding of those who protect them. Leaders profoundly empower parents with limited reading and writing skills to

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Strong standard

engage in their children's education through simplified books, shared activities and practical guidance. Parents report the setting has 'changed their lives'. Consequently, children make prominent and sustained progress from low starting points.

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Strong standard

Leaders place staff wellbeing at the centre of their work. recognising the emotional demands of supporting children and families affected by highly complex life circumstances. Through transparent communication, regular supervision and wellness action plans, leaders maintain a stable, motivated team. They are uncompromising in securing rigorous specialist training to reflect the complex needs of the community. Children benefit from consistent, highly skilled practitioners who identify risks swiftly, adapt support precisely and provide secure, uninterrupted care that significantly strengthens children's safety, progress and emotional wellbeing.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make wonderful progress from often low starting points, particularly in communication and language. Children at the early stages of using language now initiate conversations, sing nursery rhymes and use simple sentences in play. For example, children predict that play dough 'will turn hard', discuss 'skeletons' in stories and confidently name dinosaurs such as 'triceratops'.

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Achievement Strong standard

Disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care develop highly secure knowledge of all the areas of learning. Children living in temporary accommodation settle quickly, manage their emotions and seek out peers. Younger children who initially relied on siblings become independent, feed themselves, move furniture safely and engage in small-group play. Children with additional needs attempt new words and sustain magnificent attention in activities.

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Achievement Strong standard

Across the areas of learning, children develop mathematical awareness, independence and physical competence. They practise road safety, such as when using the nursery's wheeled vehicles outdoors, and learn to use numbers in play. Consequently, children gain the resilience and language skills needed for a confident transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children thrive in this harmonious and nurturing environment, where staff establish clear, consistent expectations for behaviour and model inspiring levels of kindness and respect. Staff greet children warmly, helping them separate confidently and settle quickly into purposeful play. Staff expertly teach and reinforce routines. As a result, children tidy away when the whistle blows, wash hands independently, dress for outdoor play competently and move between activities calmly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff sensitively support children who arrive anxious or overwhelmed, particularly those experiencing upheaval, social care involvement or homelessness. Through staff reassurance, predictable daily activities and calm spaces, children behave impeccably. Children who once played alone now initiate interactions and sustain meaningful and important friendships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff actively promote working together and empathy. They thoughtfully guide children to share, take turns and resolve minor conflicts. Consequently, children apologise spontaneously, invite others into play and show genuine care for their peers. Leaders' powerful focus on attendance and punctuality is reinforced by staff's motivational engagement with families. Therefore, children attend regularly, arrive on time and maintain positive attitudes to learning. Children demonstrate inspiring resilience, confidence and readiness for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders create a highly inclusive and nurturing environment where children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised and consistently promoted. Staff expertly tailor care practices to meet individual needs. Children known to social care, living in temporary accommodation or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive caring key-person support and calm spaces to help them to control and recognise emotions. As a result, children who were previously withdrawn now express feelings, seek reassurance appropriately and engage confidently with peers. Secure attachments between staff and children are evident. Children greet staff warmly, seek cuddles and confidently approach staff for support.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff promote healthy lifestyles through nutritious snacks, cooking activities and sensitive monitoring of hunger. Allergies and care routines are managed flexibly and respectfully. Children thoroughly understand handwashing, healthy eating and personal safety. For example, children successfully avoid obstacles and accidents through stop-start games on tricycles outdoors. Consequently, children feel very safe and emotionally secure and develop the knowledge and self-care skills needed to thrive in school and beyond.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders design a broad, ambitious curriculum rooted in the realities of a community where many children face disadvantage, have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and experience social care involvement. They prioritise communication, personal, social and emotional development and independence, recognising these as essential foundations for later learning. Since the last inspection, leaders have expanded woodland provision and created areas to support learning, reflecting children's emerging needs. As a result, children develop the language, resilience and independence they need to engage fully in learning and transition confidently, despite the significant barriers they face.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff implement the curriculum purposefully. They weave ambitious vocabulary and concepts through play, for example by teaching scientific change as children mix play dough and modelling precise language such as 'pinch', 'squeeze' and 'transform'. Staff promote mathematical thinking as children predict outcomes, count, compare and manage routines, such as timing toothbrushing with sand timers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Communication is central. Staff use strategies from speech and language training to model, narrate and extend language, adapting teaching swiftly to support progress. Staff very skilfully check children's starting points and act decisively to deliver focused, high-quality action. Children gain confidence in expressing themselves, increase their vocabulary and participate fully in play, including those who began as nonverbal or reluctant communicators.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders' curriculum naturally promotes physical development and health through cooking, allotment work, woodland learning and structured hygiene routines. Staff use ongoing assessment and close knowledge of families to adapt experiences, ensuring that disadvantaged children and those with SEND access the full curriculum and build the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage.

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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 to a setting where they feel safe, known and deeply valued. Many face significant adversity, including trauma and homelessness. Staff provide unwavering stability through warm relationships with children and their families. Children separate from their parents and carers confidently, greet staff with affection and quickly engage in purposeful learning. Those who once arrived hungry or anxious now access nutritious food, calm spaces such as the outdoor classroom 'Walton Lodge' and consistent reassurance, enabling them to settle and focus.

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

Children develop successful social skills and kindness. They apologise to friends without prompting, take turns patiently and invite others into their play. Staff help children to understand and talk about emotions openly and honestly. As a result, all children, including those who previously struggled to calm themselves, express how they feel and seek help appropriately.

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

Children enjoy rich, ambitious learning. They mix play dough while discussing how liquids change to solids, use vocabulary such as 'pterodactyl' in sensory play and confidently grow, cook and prepare food. Staff ensure that cultural celebrations and community visits broaden their horizons and strengthen a sense of belonging.

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

Children achieve abundantly well from often low starting points. Nonverbal children begin to sing nursery rhymes, speak in sentences and initiate conversations. Two-year-olds brush their teeth independently and develop lifelong health habits. Staff support children to gain independence by preparing food, managing hygiene and taking responsibility for their own learning. Attendance improves, and children establish secure routines. As a result, prominent barriers, linked to deprivation, diminish, and children leave confident, articulate and ready for school and for life.

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

The setting's impact extends beyond the classroom and is deeply rooted in the community it serves. Families describe the provision as 'life-changing'. Through parent education and close multi-agency working, leaders strengthen not only children's outcomes but also families' confidence and stability. Consequently, children experience a cohesive network of care around them, transforming their sense of security, aspiration and belonging within the wider community.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on continuing to create a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children/learners, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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Address:

Walton Community Centre Standley Road WALTON ON THE NAZE Essex CO14 8PT

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:30

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, apprentices, children, parents and grandparents 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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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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