The Hut Pre-school and Playscheme

The Hut Pre-school and Playscheme

Unique reference number (URN): 962775 Address: Hinton Close, Newton Road, Bath, BA2 1RX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 31/08/1990 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bath Area Play Project 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 Expected standard

Children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills as they progress through the curriculum, particularly in communication and language. They increasingly listen, respond and use a widening range of vocabulary during interactions with adults and peers. Children begin to apply early mathematical understanding, for example recognising numbers and using simple problem-solving skills during their play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers their learning and/or wellbeing, typically make progress from their starting points. Adaptations and targeted support enable children to engage in learning and develop key skills. Practitioners review children's progress through ongoing professional discussions and staff meetings, helping to identify next steps and provide additional support where needed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop confidence and independence and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning. Continued development of the quality and consistency of learning experiences across the day will further support children to sustain engagement and build securely on what they know and can do, deepening their learning over time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive environment where expectations for behaviour are generally understood and promoted through daily routines. Children form warm and trusting relationships with staff, who are nurturing and responsive, helping them to feel secure and settled. Staff use trauma-informed approaches and support children's emotional regulation through nurturing interactions, including strategies such as mindfulness and breathing techniques, to help children recognise and manage their feelings. Practitioners model kindness and encourage children to use respectful language, supporting them to play alongside others, share resources and resolve minor conflicts. During structured activities, such as group sessions, children show positive attitudes to learning, demonstrating focus, engagement and enjoyment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Practitioners take account of children's individual needs and stages of development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, adapting their approach to support participation while maintaining appropriate expectations. Children are supported to develop independence through routines, such as tidying away, self-registration and moving between activities. Leaders promote the importance of attendance and punctuality through ongoing communication with families and established daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

However, expectations for behaviour and routines are not consistently implemented during all parts of the daily routine. For example, during snack time, variations in staff deployment affect how well the routine is organised and supported. As a result, children do not consistently experience calm, well-managed routines that fully promote positive behaviour and sustained engagement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from caring and supportive relationships with staff, who are attentive and responsive to their needs, helping them to feel safe, secure and settled. Positive interactions support the development of secure attachments, particularly when children seek reassurance or comfort. Staff know children well and adapt their approach to meet individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff build positive relationships with families, sharing information about children's needs and routines to support continuity of care. As a result, children are confident within the setting and settle quickly into familiar routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are supported to develop independence in managing their personal needs, such as handwashing, dressing and toothbrushing, and are encouraged to make choices within daily routines. Staff promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles through discussions about food, physical activity and routines. Children are also supported to recognise and express their emotions and are guided to use appropriate language to manage minor conflicts.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

However, staff do not consistently organise some care routines, particularly at snack times, to ensure that children experience calm and well-managed transitions throughout the day. As a result, children do not always benefit from consistently organised routines that fully support their emotional wellbeing and engagement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the curriculum and use assessment information, including tracking systems, to identify gaps in learning and inform planning. They design the curriculum to be inclusive and provide children with a range of connected learning experiences. For example, children explore ideas linked to habitats through activities, such as water play, play dough and stories. These help children to make meaningful connections in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Practitioners support children's communication and language development through purposeful interactions, modelling vocabulary and introducing new language during play and daily routines. They support children's mathematical development through practical experiences, for example when children use language such as 'full' and 'empty' and engage in counting and problem-solving activities. Practitioners promote children's personal, social and emotional development through shared experiences, such as singing and story time. During these activities, children learn to listen, join in with others and develop a sense of belonging within the group.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use their knowledge of children to adapt teaching, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so they can access the curriculum. Leaders provide children with opportunities to extend learning outdoors through planned experiences linked to children's interests and curriculum themes, including activities such as Forest School sessions and wider outdoor learning opportunities. Leaders are continuing to enhance and develop the outdoor environment further to strengthen the broad and purposeful range of experiences available to support children's engagement and development across all areas of the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive environment where children's needs are identified accurately through ongoing assessment and tracking systems. They identify individual children who would benefit from focused support to address gaps in their learning and development. This helps leaders to recognise emerging needs promptly and put support in place at an early stage. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support, such as visual prompts, structured activities and adult guidance, which helps them to engage and make progress from their starting points. Disadvantaged children are supported effectively to access learning opportunities and develop positive relationships.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use a structured approach to plan, deliver and review support, with children's progress monitored regularly, including those receiving early years pupil premium funding. This enables leaders to adapt provision to reduce barriers to learning and support children's wellbeing. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of children's individual needs and provide consistent, nurturing support that promotes children's emotional security and engagement.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with external professionals, including speech and language therapists and the area special educational needs coordinator, to inform provision and support children's development. Leaders work effectively with a range of external professionals and agencies to inform provision and support children's development and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development and take appropriate action to improve practice. For example, they have identified the outdoor environment as an area for development and have begun to plan improvements. Leaders have responded effectively to previous concerns, including strengthening procedures around arrivals and departures and reviewing risk assessments, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining children's safety.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make decisions that are in the best interests of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning. Staff report that they feel supported and valued, and leaders take account of staff's wellbeing when making decisions. Professional development opportunities, including training and staff meetings, support staff to develop their knowledge and practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage positively with parents, who feel informed about their children's development and describe the setting as 'welcoming, supportive and communicative'. Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development and are committed to continuing to strengthen partnerships and further develop identified areas of provision to support ongoing improvement.

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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 are warmly welcomed by friendly, approachable staff who take time to speak with parents and understand children's needs. This helps children to feel safe,

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Inspector:

Megan Hooper settled and valued. Children form positive relationships with staff, who are nurturing and responsive, offering reassurance and comfort when needed. Positive partnerships with families support children to attend regularly and settle quickly, helping them to feel secure and ready to engage in learning. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to take part in activities, with staff adapting their approach, so they can be included alongside their peers.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy their learning and engage well in activities, particularly during small-group sessions, where staff use enthusiasm and clear interactions to capture their interest. They develop their communication and language skills through conversations, storytelling and learning new vocabulary. Children begin to build mathematical understanding through counting and problem-solving, for example during practical experiences such as play dough making. They show increasing independence, for example finding their names, choosing activities and managing aspects of their personal care.

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Inspector:

Children generally behave well and are supported to play alongside others and develop social skills. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen the organisation of staff deployment at snack times to ensure that routines are consistently calm and organised. Overall, children benefit from caring relationships and engaging experiences that support them to develop the skills they need for the next stage in their learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff deployment is consistently effective, particularly during snack time, so children are well supervised and routines are calm and organised. Leaders should develop the outdoor environment to provide a broader range of stimulating and purposeful learning opportunities that support children's engagement, development and exploration across all areas of learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, children and 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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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Bath Area Play Project Committee

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Address:

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

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Address:

Local authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council

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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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