Fleet Methodist Church Preschool

Fleet Methodist Church Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 507806 Address: Reading Road South, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 7TF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/08/1980 Registers: EYR Registered person: Fleet Methodist Church Preschool 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 make secure progress through the curriculum from their starting points, particularly in communication and language. They quickly develop key foundational skills, such as independence in personal care. Children are able to confidently recognise and express their feelings and use mark-making tools with control. Their language skills develop significantly, enabling them to listen to stories and then retell them with confidence. This prepares them very well for later learning. Children communicate confidently with staff and each other. They use speech and gestures expertly to organise their play. For example, they roll objects back and forth, discussing which moves faster or slower through back-and-forth exchanges.

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Achievement Strong standard

Those who face barriers to learning receive targeted support that enables them to fully access the curriculum. They make meaningful progress. Children who speak English as an additional language quickly learn key vocabulary that allows them to communicate effectively with others. As a result, all children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders have established a highly positive and nurturing environment. Expectations for behaviour are consistently understood by practitioners, children and families. Practitioners purposefully act as calm role models. Children mirror their behaviours in their own interactions. When conflict happens, staff skilfully guide children through solutions. This helps them understand how to resolve issues independently. As a result, children collaborate well and use consistently polite language. For example, when children's bowls run out of water during play, they politely ask their friends, 'Please can you pour some more in here?' Together, they share and transfer the water as a team.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Practitioners create warm, trusting relationships with children. Their interactions are meaningful, gentle and enriching, which underpin the setting's positive culture. Practitioners know children's developmental stages and individual needs exceedingly well. They offer gentle reminders of expectations when needed. Practitioners ensure explanations are clear and age-appropriate. As a result, children rarely repeat unwanted behaviours. Practitioners comment and give explicit praise about how children do something, such as effort, kindness and turn-taking, which helps children build strong self-esteem.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders prioritise attendance and punctuality. This prepares families well for the expectations of school. Parents understand the importance of regular attendance, and leaders work closely with those who need additional support, celebrating improvements and addressing barriers sensitively. This consistent approach ensures children feel secure, behave well, and develop the attitudes and routines needed for future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have created an inclusive environment that prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing. Practitioners tailor care routines to meet individual needs. They know children very well. Practitioners adapt routines and levels of support to reflect each child's stage of development. They ensure children who face barriers to learning receive the support they need to thrive. For example, practitioners support younger children with a gentle 'hand-over- hand' approach when opening packets. Older children confidently pour their own drinks. Staff have high expectations for all children. For instance, children know and take pride in washing their own cups after snack time. Leaders use mealtimes consistently to promote wellbeing, independence and positive social experiences for children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Secure, responsive relationships help children feel safe, settled and ready to learn. Children develop an understanding of their physical development, personal safety and health through daily routines and meaningful conversations. They learn about healthy choices, practise independence in self-care and gain confidence in expressing and managing their emotions. Leaders enhance this learning further through partnerships with local agencies, such as 'health heroes' and 'clean hands' initiatives.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have created a well-planned curriculum that all staff understand and deliver. They are reflective and ensure every child experiences high-quality learning. Leaders accurately identify how well staff implement the curriculum and create wonderful activities that bring learning to life. For example, children love mixing potions in the water tray, and others enthusiastically roll play dough into snails, inspired by their favourite stories. Staff design these activities well to develop children's communication, physical, mathematical and literacy skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Practitioners are ambitious for children. Children achieve well and remain highly engaged. Practitioners promote children's communication and language development effectively. During rhyming activities, children sound out simple words and decide whether they match. Staff praise their thinking process rather than just the final answer. Leaders model high- quality narration to staff. This supports staff to create purposeful interactions that extend children's vocabulary, communication and mathematical understanding well. Practitioners encourage children to count, recognise shapes and 'pour to the top' when filling containers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Physical, personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. Children's independence is encouraged from their first days at the setting. Through ongoing assessment, leaders and practitioners adapt teaching for every child. When children experience barriers to learning, leaders and practitioners seek advice from external professionals. For example, leaders and practitioners have created speech and language group sessions to seamlessly incorporate advice given by external agencies into the day. Practitioners know their key children very well and weave next steps seamlessly into daily experiences, helping every child achieve, belong and thrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take purposeful action to promptly assess and identify children's individual needs. They gather information from their starting points and continue to do so throughout their time at the provision. When leaders identify needs that require adjustments or adaptations, leaders act swiftly. They put effective systems in place to reduce barriers to learning and support children's overall wellbeing. For example, all staff have learned basic sign language to enhance communication with families of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables families to actively participate in their children's experiences at the provision, as well as being directly involved in the two-way partnerships between practitioners and parents.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners effectively and regularly assess the information gathered on children's development, create a plan, implement it, and then review its impact. This ensures children continue to receive precisely tailored support that significantly impacts their learning and development as they start to close any gaps in learning and development between themselves and their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners have built meaningful and positive relationships with families, professionals and external agencies. They use these partnerships to enhance children's learning, opportunities and experiences. Practitioners speak with parents each morning to gain an insight into how each child is feeling and gently adjust their approach to best support them. When children feel overwhelmed, parents share this and practitioners provide one-to- one time, reading stories before gradually introducing children to the wider group. Practitioners also prepare specific toys and activities that interest children to help create a smoother transition into the day.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use early years pupil premium funding appropriately, ensuring every child can access enriching extracurricular experiences, such as taking part in visits from the mobile farm.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders' actions create a culture of continuous improvement. They ensure children receive the care, support and education they need to thrive. The reflective leaders regularly review the support in place for every child and actively involve practitioners in this reflective process. They value suggestions and feedback, using them to drive continual improvement. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and take purposeful action to swiftly address areas identified for improvement.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders make decisions that are in the best interests of all children, particularly those who face additional barriers to learning and wellbeing. They work effectively with external agencies, using professional advice to shape provision and improve outcomes for children and families. For example, leaders source particular resources to ensure every individual child receives the tailored support they need.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders manage practitioners' workload sensitively. They adapt expectations and give practical support to maintain practitioners' wellbeing. Leaders prioritise practitioners' professional development with purposeful training. They carefully select development opportunities to enhance staff knowledge and practice. This has had a positive impact on the quality of interactions and the support children receive, which enhances their learning and development. Leaders value practitioners' input and encourage their feedback to support important decisions, such as the design of the curriculum.

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

Children are warmly welcomed into a nurturing and well-organised environment. Here, children receive care, feel safe and are able to thrive. From the moment they arrive, practitioners greet families positively. They gather important information that helps children settle in and feel secure. Secure relationships with their peers and practitioners mean children confidently explore, take part in learning and develop a positive sense of belonging.

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

Children enjoy their learning and make secure progress from their starting points. They engage enthusiastically in a well-planned curriculum that sparks curiosity. For example, children love finding treasure in the sandpit, mixing potions, retelling stories and engaging in fun rhyming activities. These build children's confidence to communicate well with practitioners and peers. Those who face barriers to learning receive tailored support. This enables them to access the curriculum fully and achieve well. Practitioners scaffold learning carefully, helping children build independence, confidence and age-appropriate skills that prepare them well for their next steps.

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

Children learn alongside one another with kindness and cooperation. Practitioners model calm, respectful interactions, and children mirror this in their play. They confidently share resources, solve problems together and use polite manners consistently throughout the day. Children skilfully express their feelings, recognise emotions and use strategies taught by staff to regulate their emotions. Leaders ensure families feel welcomed and valued. Leaders work closely with external agencies to strengthen outcomes for children who need additional support.

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

Children thrive because routines are thoughtfully adapted to meet individual needs. They learn about healthy choices and how to keep themselves safe. These routines help them to develop independence in self-care. Leaders promote attendance positively, helping support families to establish routines in preparation for school.

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Address:

Reading Road South Fleet Hampshire GU52 7TF

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Fleet Methodist Church Preschool Committee

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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 creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, children, parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspection started on 16 January 2026. Inspectors returned on 24 March 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday,Friday,Wednesday : 09:00 - 15:00

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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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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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