Gosforth Preschool

Gosforth Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2860364 Address: Dronfield Infant School, School lane, Dronfield, S18 1RY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/08/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Gosforth Pre-School (Dronfield) 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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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders swiftly and accurately identify any emerging needs or barriers that children may have. They are committed in their partnership working with parents and other agencies. This ensures that all children make rapid progress and receive the support that reflects their changing needs. Leaders establish a very inclusive culture within the setting. They use their robust assessments on children, to enable early identification of children who may need additional support. Leaders are proactive in removing barriers to learning by providing individual learning plans and resources to meet children's needs. For example, children have access to a quiet, cosy space with lights and textures to meet their sensory needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff know their children considerably well and have a meticulous understanding of their individual personalities, interests, needs and stages of development. They foster extremely positive relationships with families and are aware of significant changes that may occur in children's home lives. This enables staff to provide comprehensive and timely support, reassurance, and consistency, helping children to feel safe, secure and valued.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively and appropriately to meet the individual needs of children. Funding is carefully allocated to provide targeted support, including one-to-one interventions, additional sessions, and specialised resources where required.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children progress well in their development. They are ready for the next stage in their learning. Children develop a love of books. For example, they enjoy looking at books independently, as well as taking part in story-time sessions. Children listen attentively to stories and are able to sit and focus with their peers. They enjoy taking part in focused small-group activities. Children develop dexterity in their fingers, as they use tweezers to carefully pick up toy animals out of a basket. At times, children require consistent support to help extend their knowledge and skills even further as they play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are well prepared for transitions between rooms and for moving on to the onsite school. For example, they are offered additional visits to their new room or school environment, allowing them to become familiar with new routines, adults, and surroundings. Children learn to recognise and celebrate similarities and differences between themselves and others. They develop early mathematical skills, such as counting, understanding size, and using positional language. During story time, children receive support to count on their fingers as they join in with the story, helping them to make connections between numbers and quantities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff generally have high expectations for children. When staff notice minor disputes between children, they swiftly intervene and encourage and support children to play together and share. This helps to develop children's social skills and their understanding of how to have positive relationships with others. Occasionally, staff do not support children to follow through with expectations within daily routines. For example, during tidy-up time, some children require more support from staff to learn how to put away resources. This does not help children fully understand what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders are proactive around children's attendance and share with parents the importance of children attending regularly. This helps all children in preparation for their move on to school. Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with the children in their care. This helps children to settle quickly. Staff take into account children's individual needs during transitions and make adaptations as required.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children thoroughly enjoy larger group times with staff and actively engage in a range of interesting learning experiences. For example, toddlers listen attentively to staff as they talk to them about different types of hairstyles and eye colours. Children are keen to participate, share their ideas, and talk about their own features. This helps to develop their communication skills, self-awareness, and understanding of diversity.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children to develop good hygiene practice and independence. They encourage handwashing before meals and after using the toilet. Staff support children to access the toilet when needed. This promotes children's self-care skills. Staff generally provide children with some opportunities to learn about healthy eating. Children bring in packed lunches from home. Staff occasionally share some information and guidance to parents about the healthy meals they should provide as part of their child's packed lunch. They do not consistently ensure that this advice is being implemented by parents. This does not fully promote children's health.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have warm, positive relationships with their key person and form secure attachments. Staff are responsive to children's individual needs and they provide warm care to them. This helps all children to feel safe, valued, and emotionally secure. Leaders and staff value outdoor learning and ensure that children have opportunities to explore the outdoor environment throughout the day. Children are provided with a safe and calm area to sleep. Staff check on children regularly while they sleep. They work in partnership with parents to meet children's individual sleep requirements, promoting their wellbeing and comfort.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders develop a broad curriculum which covers all areas of learning. This generally helps all children to build on their knowledge. Staff understand what children can already do and use their assessments of children's abilities to focus on children's next steps. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Staff develop successful care plans which supports their individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, teaching is effective and staff understand how children learn. They plan a wide range of activities to support children's learning, as well as facilitating child-led play. Staff do not consistently support children to extend their knowledge and skills as they play. For example, children delight as they experiment by mixing different coloured paints together and they confidently name the new colours they have made. While staff acknowledge this, they do not help children to extend their knowledge further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff read stories clearly. Children are learning to do things for themselves, such as fetching their own hats, putting rubbish in the bin, and going to the toilet. This helps to develop their independence skills. Children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills outside as they use their arm muscles to dig in the sand and leg muscles to push themselves along on the tricycles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff communicate regularly with parents both verbally and using an online app. They provide ideas on how parents can continue their child's learning at home. For example, staff send home resources and activities that parents can use to help develop their child's speech. Parents speak positively about the provision and care their children receive. Parents value the partnerships with staff, effective communication, and the nurturing environment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff share that the regular check-ins they have with leaders help to promote their wellbeing. Leaders support staff's practice through regular meetings, peer-on-peer observations and staff appraisals. This includes staff having time to access relevant training opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. Leaders have an understanding of how they can support staff's teaching practice. There is scope to enhance this, to help staff to extend children's knowledge and skills further as they play.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and continually evaluate the provision to help enhance children's experiences further. For example, they have reviewed snack-time arrangements to help develop children's social skills even further. Leaders and staff are starting to work on how to strengthen their curriculum on healthy lifestyles. They work effectively with the local school to support children through key transitions. Leaders communicate well, which ensures that information about each child's individual needs are understood by the new setting. Children benefit from planned visits and familiarisation sessions, which gives them opportunities to meet new adults and explore their new environment.

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

Children interact positively with staff and show confidence as they access the range of learning experiences available to them. They show an interest in reading. For example, children enjoy listening to stories and independently access books during play. They enthusiastically participate in small-group games, where they develop their counting skills. Staff provide effective support and praise to children, which helps them to understand the importance of turn-taking and cooperation. Children are motivated learners. They have fun as they access activities that support their creativity, imagination and fine-motor development, such as arts and crafts and construction play. Children enjoy free painting, using a range of different sized brushes and paint to express their own ideas. They develop their physical skills as they play outdoors. For example, children eagerly ride tricycles, using their leg muscles to pull themselves along.

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

Children take part in group-time activities that promote their understanding of diversity and individuality. They explore similarities and differences between themselves and others, discussing hair colours, hairstyles and eye colours, and excitedly identify features of their own appearance. Staff encourage children to develop their independence during daily routines. Children are supported to open their own food, peel bananas and dispose of their rubbish appropriately. Children also learn about healthy lifestyles, including the benefits of drinking milk to help keep their bones and teeth strong.

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

The setting is inclusive and all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the robust support they require. This is through secure partnerships with parents and other professionals. Children with SEND receive early identification, intervention, and tailored learning. Staff create a nurturing environment where children feel safe and secure. Children's emotional wellbeing is well supported through positive and warm relationships between staff and children. Transitions to the on-site school is a strength of this setting and helps to promote children's welfare.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to build on staff practice, enabling them to consistently build on children's knowledge and skills as they play. Leaders should strengthen how they support children to make healthy food choices, to promote secure foundations for their physical health and wellbeing. Leaders should develop consistent behaviour management strategies, which build on children's understanding of behavioural expectations.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Dronfield Infant School School lane Dronfield S18 1RY

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Gosforth Pre-School (Dronfield) Committee

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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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Age range of children at the time of 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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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