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Early years · Report card

Old Dalby Preschool

Inspected 12 May 2026 · URN EY414047

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Christy Dave

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Expected standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Expected standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Strong standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Expected standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Expected standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    The Old Dalby Pre-School Playgroup Committee

  • Inspection datesingle source

    12 May 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Christy Dave

  • Postcode verified

    LE14 3LR

  • Name on report verified

    Old Dalby Preschool

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY414047

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2025.

  • AchievementExpected
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
  • Curriculum and teachingExpected
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+75Very positivemore positive than 53% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseexcellentenjoyhighly effectivesafefeel safepositiveconsistentlyrapid progress
Criticismstruggleconcernsgapsnot happynot positivenot consistent

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings1397w+80
  • Leadership208w+57
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve102w+20

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,757
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Fairly hard
Flesch 53, typical 43
Average sentence
18 words
Next steps
5
typical 3
Hedged sentences
2%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 63%Leadership 9%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 5%About the inspection 21%

Full report text

Old Dalby Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): EY414047 Address: Primary School, Main Road, Old Dalby, MELTON MOWBRAY, Leicestershire, LE14 3LR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/07/2010 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Old Dalby Pre-School Playgroup 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders value and prioritise children's wellbeing and are vigilant when looking out for any changes in the children that might indicate that they need further support. For example, staff notice subtle changes in children's personality, which are then discussed with parents. This supports parents to seek professional advice, which results in a positive impact on children. Leaders and staff speak with children and parents regularly, asking children questions such as 'What makes you happy?' and 'What do you enjoy?' They know young children cannot yet contribute verbally, so they notice young children's body language to help them to understand how they are feeling. Staff know children and their families incredibly well and are alert to children's home lives. They help children to understand similarities and differences between themselves and others, for example, when talking about types of families.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff create an environment that is safe and inviting. Children choose daily if they want to play indoors or outdoors. Staff encourage children to manage their own personal hygiene needs, but, when needed, they give gentle reminders, for example demonstrating to children how to wash their hands correctly before they eat. Daily routines are well embedded and followed throughout the day by all children, including those with barriers to learning. For example, all children sit together at mealtimes and they know what is expected of them. Children tell adults which food is good for them and which is not. This helps them to maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond the nursery. Staff give children the skills to keep themselves safe when they are not in the nursery. For example, children learn how to stay safe when using the internet.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently and accurately identify children's individual needs. Information about what children know and can do is gathered from parents right at the very start. This allows staff to plan how they can support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities right from the beginning. Staff adapt the curriculum and their interactions so that all children can take part in the experiences that are on offer. For example, during group times, adaptations are made as children choose if they want to sit in a small tent next to their friends. This allows for those children who want to take part in group activities but feel unable to sit in a large group to participate. This is highly effective in supporting children who struggle to sit with their friends during group times and allows them to regulate their emotions and feel involved in the activity.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children who are known to children's social care make rapid progress in their development as they speak with increasing confidence, due to the adapted curriculum that is provided. Leaders and staff work collaboratively with other agencies, and they are quick to identify any emerging needs. They make referrals to relevant professionals and follow their advice. Leaders know which children may require additional support when they transition to formal

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Expected standard

education. They liaise with schools and design a tailored transition package so that children are supported based on their individual needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are keen communicators and enjoy talking about the caterpillars that they are watching grow at the nursery. Children enjoy stories. They sit in groups with their friends and recall parts of a familiar story. Older children are increasingly independent and manage their own needs, including pulling up their sleeves before they paint and putting on their own shoes. This helps prepare them for the skills needed in their next stage of learning. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to learning, are developing excellent speaking skills. They use complex words such as 'skuttle' in context as they describe the movement of crabs. They tell adults how they keep themselves safe when they are not at the nursery. For example, they know to call the fire brigade in the event of a fire and that they should run away from a fire.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and monitor this. They speak with parents to encourage attendance should this drop. Staff are excellent role models and treat children with kindness. They listen to children as they talk about home and ask questions so that children feel valued. Children demonstrate that they understand what kindness is as they thank their friends for passing them a pretend ice cream.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff have high expectations for all children in relation to their learning and behaviour. To engage children in learning, leaders have introduced dancing after morning group time so that children can move their bodies around before engaging and concentrating in further activities. Staff understand the needs of all children, particularly those with barriers to their learning. They provide sensitive support, such as explaining to children the need to share resources and wait for their turn. However, when children disagree over a bike, for example, staff are not consistent in how this is managed, which leads to confusion for the children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff have supportive and respectful relationships with children. For example, they tell them they are fastening the back of their outfit as they help children dress in role-play clothes. Older children know that they can tell an adult if they are not happy. Children spend considerable time playing with their friends in the sand as they tip and pour. Older children giggle as they sit and paint.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff understand how children learn and they know what skills children need to develop to be able to progress in their learning. The curriculum is designed to ensure that all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to learning, are developing key skills through the variety of experiences and activities on offer. Staff tailor their interactions and teaching based on what they know that children need to learn next. For example, children who need support to develop physical strength in their hands receive high-quality interactions that focus on fine motor skills. Staff typically support children's development of communication skills as they engage in regular back-and-forth conversations together. There are some occasions when the focus on how well engaged all children are in activities is not sharp enough, for example when they are being asked

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

questions. Leaders recognise the importance of children having a secure understanding of mathematics and provide experiences that include, for older children, learning about the sequence of patterns. Leaders have recognised that the implementation of the mathematics curriculum needs to be further embedded to ensure that it is of a consistently high quality.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Since the last inspection, managers, leaders and staff have worked hard to bring about improvements to the nursery. Changes made to the leadership team have not only had a positive impact on the nursery but have also supported the wellbeing of managers and staff.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious and know what it is that they want to work on so that they can provide the best possible learning and development experiences for children to help them thrive. Leaders have plans to expand the curriculum and want children to learn about sustainability and the climate, which will provide children with knowledge while at nursery and beyond.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff have regular meetings with managers where they have opportunities to reflect on their practice and discuss any training needs. This helps them to continue to have a positive impact on children's development. Staff are highly valued by leaders and managers, and their wellbeing is of importance. Staff report that leaders manage their workload well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff and leaders value parents and work closely with them throughout children's attendance at nursery. Leaders know their community well and consider children's safety outside of the nursery. They share information with parents about how they can ensure that their children are safe, particularly when outdoors in farming environments.

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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 take part in interesting activities and experiences that staff provide for them. This helps children progress in the next steps of their learning. Additional funding is used to provide experiences that will support children to close gaps in their learning. For example, children are impacted positively by these purposeful experiences as they tell adults about the time a gecko walked on their arm. Staff remind them about how brave they were to do this, helping to make children feel proud of their achievements.

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

Children are in tune with their own emotions and know that they can tell an adult if they are unhappy. On arrival, older children choose where to place a wooden peg that represents them next to colours that relate to how they are feeling. This helps children to express how they are feeling when they arrive at nursery. Children know how to regulate their emotions when needed as they access spaces in the nursery that help them to feel safe. Staff know that some children struggle with loud noises and adapt routines so that children do not feel overwhelmed. For example, during routine fire alarm drills, children are given the option to go outdoors before the alarm goes off so that it is not too loud for them to manage.

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

Children are well prepared for the next stage in learning and are developing key social skills. They play alongside friends for lengthy periods, laughing and giggling as they enjoy each other's company. Staff bring books to life. For example, they pass an apple around that is linked to the story of the week. Children sit with their friends as they listen to this familiar story. Children sit with staff and pay attention when they are shown how a sponge soaks up

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Address:

Primary School, Main Road Old Dalby MELTON MOWBRAY Leicestershire LE14 3LR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registration date: 19/07/2010 water. They listen to new words, such as 'absorb', which are used in context. They are able to concentrate while other busy routines of the day are going on around them.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen and embed the curriculum for mathematics so that it is clearly taught. Leaders should strengthen staff's knowledge regarding how to extend discussions during adult-led play. Leaders should strengthen consistency in how staff support children's understanding of behaviour expectations.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, committee members, the manager, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and children 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. Registered person: The Old Dalby Pre-School Playgroup Committee

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday : 08:00 - 17:00,Tuesday : 08:00 - 17:00,Wednesday : 08:00 - 17:00,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00,Friday : 09:00 - 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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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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