Chavey Down Pre-School

Chavey Down Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): EY477823 Address: Carnation Hall, Chavey Down Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 7PA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/06/2014 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Initial Steps Ltd

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. Designated safeguarding leaders in the pre- school have not completed the required training. Leaders and staff do not demonstrate a secure understanding of their child protection responsibilities. Although some staff have completed appropriate safeguarding training, they lack knowledge of safeguarding issues, in particular those affecting the local community, and this means they do not correctly identify when a child may be at risk. In addition, they do not consistently act on concerns accurately or follow the required reporting procedures set out by local safeguarding partnerships. The failure to follow safeguarding procedures compromises children's safety and welfare. Leaders follow appropriate procedures to safely recruit staff.

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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 Needs attention

The progress children make is variable. At times, children's learning is incidental rather than purposeful. Children identified as having speech and language delay do not have this area prioritised as a key focus of their learning. This affects the progress they make and limits their overall achievements. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning, generally enjoy the learning environment available to them. For example, children delight in rolling a dice and chatting together as they use their counting skills.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children develop age-appropriate physical skills. For instance, they enjoy sticking bricks together by painting them with foam and brushes, which supports their developing small- muscle strength, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. In addition, children make good use of opportunities to practise control and coordination. For example, they jump excitedly as they attempt to throw beanbags into hoops and carry large crates in the garden.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not implement fully effective strategies to help children learn the routines of the setting. When children are asked to tidy up, some willingly help to put toys and resources away. Weaknesses in teaching at group time and during bathroom routines mean that some children do not understand what staff expect of them, which leads to confusion and upset at these times of change in the daily routine.

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Urgent improvement

Leaders and staff set age-appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. They respond positively and calmly to incidents of poor behaviour. For example, staff get down to children's level to explain why certain actions, such as running indoors, are not appropriate. As a result, children are learning some behaviour expectations and how to make positive choices.

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Urgent improvement

At times, leaders understand the needs of children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff comfort children with cuddles and offer one-to-one support when needed. However, this is not consistently applied across the pre-school.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is in its infancy due to recent changes in management. Leaders are at an early stage of identifying the improvements needed in teaching and assessment. Although plans are in place to strengthen practice so that teaching consistently builds children's knowledge, skills and confidence, these plans are still developing. Staff do, however, regularly assess children's learning. They use developmental trackers to check whether children are meeting age-appropriate milestones. They also observe children and plan activities, which are usually based on what children enjoy.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Overall, teaching is variable, and this does not effectively support children's next steps in development. Staff do not consistently promote children's communication and language skills during play. Some staff give children enough time to respond to questions and introduce new vocabulary. For example, they enthusiastically encourage children to dig in the mud to find worms, snails and slugs, talking with them about what these creatures look like. However, other staff sit silently while children play around them, offering little interaction or engagement. As a result, some children become disengaged from learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not consistently keep up to date with children's changing circumstances. This limits their ability to help children achieve their full potential, especially for disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those known to social care. However, at times, staff manage this well for some children. For example, they support children to regulate their emotions during transitions by offering gentle encouragement and reassurance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

There are significant weaknesses in the arrangements to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. Leaders and staff do not understand or follow the correct procedures needed to ensure children's safety. The arrangements for food and drink are not secure. Leaders and staff do not demonstrate a clear understanding of requirements, particularly regarding the management of allergies and intolerances. For example, staff are not aware of which children have allergies or how these should be managed. This does not support or protect children's health and wellbeing. Staff are, however, responsive to children's immediate care needs, recognising when they are hungry or require a nappy change.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff are not consistent in promoting children's emotional security. Leaders and staff do not always identify when the environment is hindering some children's learning and impacting their wellbeing. For instance, children at risk of speech and language delay struggle to hear during story time because of loud background noise. Routines do not consistently reflect or are not adapted to children's changing needs and circumstances. For instance, staff recognise that some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care, do not enjoy group activities. However, they do not adapt these activities effectively to engage all children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Overall, children have positive relationships with their key person. Staff know the children well, and children appear happy in their care. However, leaders and staff do not always support children's individual needs effectively.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use what they know about individual children to support their learning. As a result, staff are not always able to identify when children may require additional support to keep them safe and promote their wellbeing. Consequently, support for disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those known to social care is ineffective.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Arrangements to support children's learning are more effective. Staff can identify when children are not meeting expected developmental milestones and are able to recognise delays in their learning. In addition, leaders and staff work with some external professionals to access further support for certain children. This includes working with the local authority and special educational needs advisers. At times, smaller adult-to-child ratios are provided for some children, which has a positive impact on their progress.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Overall, leaders sometimes use additional funding appropriately to help reduce some barriers to learning. For example, staff support children's engagement with stories by providing story sacks that families can borrow to take home. However, this approach is not applied consistently for all children who receive additional funding. As a result, not all children, particularly disadvantaged children, benefit from well-coordinated support that meets their individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities. They do not always make decisions that are in the best interests of children. This negatively affects children's outcomes overall, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders demonstrate limited capacity to prioritise and drive improvement. They acknowledge the need to strengthen the curriculum and improve staff interactions with children. However, actions taken so far have not been effective. Furthermore, although policies and procedures exist, they are not consistently followed. Leaders do not recognise that information relating to children's safety must be acted on swiftly. This compromises children's welfare and safety.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not maintain thorough oversight of all aspects of the provision, leaving them unclear about the areas that require improvement. Although they carry out regular one-to- one meetings with staff, they do not ensure that staff receive the support they need to fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff participate in training, but leaders do not monitor its impact. As a result, leaders do not have an accurate understanding of weaknesses in staff practice, and teaching does not consistently improve.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Overall, leaders and staff maintain friendly relationships with parents. Staff share information about children's experiences at the setting. However, leaders do not follow required procedures when investigating and responding to complaints. Leaders demonstrate a willingness to make improvements and are working closely with the local authority to implement detailed action plans.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Breaches of the early years foundation stage statutory requirements mean that not all children thrive in this pre-school. Children's safety and welfare are not fully assured at this pre-school. Despite these concerns, children settle quickly when they arrive. They enter the pre-school happily and with ease in the mornings, eager to see familiar staff and their friends. Children confidently separate from their parents and carers. They make their own choices and move independently around the setting, selecting toys and resources that interest them. Children choose what they want to explore and are developing confidence and exploratory skills.

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

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the curriculum or teaching, and they fail to provide staff with high-quality professional development. Staff offer experiences that result in incidental rather than intentional learning. For example, when children spend a long time building a detailed den together, staff do not recognise opportunities to extend children's learning. Instead, they intervene unnecessarily and take the structure apart. Leaders are unable to effectively address identified weaknesses. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, do not make the progress they should at this pre-school.

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

Overall, the key-person system is effective, and staff meet children's emotional needs. However, some children are not developing the positive attitudes to learning that will prepare them well for the next stage of education, including school. For example, some children play alone for extended periods with little interaction from staff. More confident children enjoy socialising with friends as they pretend to be superheroes. Many children enjoy physical activities, such as dancing to nursery rhymes. However, weaknesses in leaders' and staff's policies and practice mean that children's welfare is not consistently assured.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all staff with lead responsibilities for safeguarding complete the required training to carry out their roles and responsibilities 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all leaders and staff are able to identify all signs of possible abuse and neglect and know how to implement safeguarding policies in a timely manner 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all staff know that they are expected to disclose any matter that may affect their suitability to work with children, whether received before or during employment, and do not allow anyone whose suitability has not been checked to have unsupervised contact with children 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve oversight of the provision to swiftly identify areas for improvement, ensuring that requirements are 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

met and training needs are identified and addressed

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Action Completion Date

implement appropriate systems to manage any allergies and intolerances and ensure that these are understood and implemented by staff 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement effective procedures for dealing with concerns and complaints 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

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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Action Completion Date

monitor and improve the delivery of the curriculum to support staff to consistently meet the individual needs and extend children's learning through high-quality interactions across the setting 29/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure leaders and staff implement effective strategies and monitor the use of additional funding to support children to make the best possible progress 29/05/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents, children and the special educational needs coordinator 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 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:

Carnation Hall Chavey Down Road Bracknell Berkshire RG42 7PA

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 16:00

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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

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