Harlington Village Pre-SchoolOfsted report card, 15 Sept 2026

Harlington Village Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): 2821419 Address: Harlington Lower School, Westoning Road, Harlington, Dunstable, LU5 6PD Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/12/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Harlington Village Pre-School

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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 are extremely positive in their attitudes to learning and receive praise for their achievements. They show perseverance in their learning. For example, young children use loop scissors to make snips in a paper plate. Outside, children confidently use their feet to move wheeled toys and work out how to climb over the top of a climbing frame. This helps children to understand how to manage risks safely. Children know staff are nearby when they need help or a little encouragement.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop their independence through carefully planned daily routines. They can choose to put their wellington boots on outside in the well-organised changing station. Children learn dressing skills in the role-play area as they dress up in costumes. These skills mean that they are well prepared for the next stages in their education.

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Achievement Strong standard

Regardless of their background, starting point or individual needs, children acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to succeed. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve alongside their peers and make progress towards ambitious goals that reflect their individual development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children build warm and trusting relationships with all staff. Leaders and staff embed a culture of kindness, care and respect. As a result, children play together harmoniously. Children thrive on the encouragement and praise they receive from staff. They are confident and happy. All children behave remarkably well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children greet visitors politely and are curious about new people. They talk about their own emotions. Children know that they can go into the sensory space or calm corner if they want some quiet time. They use emotion toys to show staff how they feel. This helps children learn to name their emotions and recognise their own feelings.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

There are highly effective routines in place, which staff carefully teach at the start of the school year. Children learn to find their name card and use it to show which book they would like to hear at story time. At snack time, children find their name card and collect a cup and plate. Children follow these routines on their first day in the setting. As a result, all children know what to expect and this helps them to feel secure and safe.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders work effectively with families to ensure that they understand the importance of regular attendance. This means that all children can enjoy the rich learning opportunities available each day.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff know all the children incredibly well. They gather detailed information that helps them to learn about children when they first attend nursery. They use this information very effectively to plan a highly successful learning environment that removes barriers to learning. They adapt plans quickly to make sure that each child's needs are met. Staff help new children to settle. For example, they distract children with favourite activities and offer cuddles and reassurance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff promote healthy lifestyles effectively through meaningful experiences and positive engagement with families. Children are looking forward to using the pumpkins that they are currently caring for. Children have several 'healthy movers' sessions each week, where they enjoy being active and moving their bodies in different ways. Children follow clear hygiene practices, carefully washing their hands before they eat. Staff help children to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, children learn to ride the bicycles on the marked track so they do not crash into other children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently ensure that each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to their learning, feels safe, valued and supported. This reinforces children's deep sense of belonging.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is thoughtfully designed, drawing on ongoing observations and assessments to meet children's individual needs and stages of development. At the start of the academic year, staff focus on children's personal development and communication, and on finding out what the new children know and can do. The curriculum is highly inclusive. Leaders quickly identify children who may need additional support.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have created a rich curriculum across the setting, which is embedded and understood consistently by staff. Learning follows children's interests in a calm and relaxed environment. Leaders have carefully selected some key topics to introduce new learning. For example, they are currently exploring 'All About Me' as many children are new. Staff help children to make pictures of their faces using creative materials. They encourage them to look in mirrors to see what colour hair they have, helping them to identify similarities and differences.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff read to children daily, helping children to develop a love of reading. Children listen to books about emotions, laughing as they pretend to be happy and then angry. Staff teach children new vocabulary. For example, during a listening game, they introduce the words 'rattle' and 'jingle'. Staff use regular group sessions to help children develop listening skills. Staff weave mathematical learning through all activities. Children count how many children have voted for each book at the daily story time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff place inclusion firmly at the heart of their work. Leaders skilfully support staff to adapt their teaching and work alongside staff to ensure that every child can join in and thrive. Staff put in place well-considered adaptations and targeted strategies. These include more one-to-one support and a well-planned programme of learning for children with speech and language difficulties. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make rapid progress. Staff identify children with SEND early. Leaders and staff recognise children's needs and consider their individual family circumstances well. Parents and carers are very positive about the support their children receive and the difference it makes to them as a family.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff are equipped with excellent knowledge on how to support children with SEND and/or other barriers to learning. They actively seek expert advice from the local authority and implement this guidance consistently. Staff are currently learning Makaton and using this to help children communicate. Leaders and staff work effectively to support children who speak more than one language. Staff learn key words in children's home languages. They use signs and objects to ensure that children can understand and feel like they belong. Leaders use additional funding purposefully to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. For example, they have purchased sensory resources to support children's ability to manage their emotions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about ensuring that every child in the setting thrives. Partnerships with parents and carers are highly effective, characterised by excellent communication and sharing of information. Parents speak highly of the setting, describing the progress their children have made since starting.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of what works well in their setting and continually self- evaluate to identify areas for improvement. They gather feedback from parents and staff and use these to make changes. For example, leaders now send a weekly learning journal out for each child, to help parents know what their child has been learning at pre-school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders focus on staff performance to ensure that they offer high-quality education and care. Leaders work alongside staff to model excellent practice and encourage staff to learn from each other. Staff receive encouragement to reflect on their own development and to seek ways to improve. Training has a real purpose and develops new skills for staff so that they build even greater knowledge of how best to support the children in their care. Leaders are mindful of staff's wellbeing and meet with each staff member regularly. Staff receive time to complete paperwork and training and speak highly of the support they are given.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders use funding carefully to enhance provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to employ more staff and buy resources to support individual children based on their needs.

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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 come into pre-school happily and are greeted warmly by staff. New children to the pre-school settle quickly and benefit from a well-planned settling-in process. Staff know every child and family well. As a result, all children feel safe, valued and included. Children enjoy a range of rich learning experiences. They listen well at group times, where they laugh with staff telling them a story and make silly faces together, showing they are developing a sense of humour. Children of all ages focus as they carefully make a paper plate 'face' and talk about themselves and their family members. This helps them to gain a sense of identity

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Inspector:

Lisa Jeffery and belonging. Children dress up as superheroes and talk about their 'special powers', using and developing their imaginations.

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Inspector:

Children have plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise. Outside, the well-designed garden allows children to grow vegetables, climb, ride bicycles and explore the wooded area. Children enjoy saying 'hello' to their siblings who are playing on the school playground. This shows they are developing an understanding of people who are special to them. Staff encourage children to try new things and use their bodies in different ways. This helps children's physical skills to develop rapidly.

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Inspector:

Children who face barriers to their learning take part fully alongside their peers. Well-chosen support helps all children achieve. All children are well prepared for their next steps in learning, including when they move on to school. Leaders check attendance closely and children attend regularly and on time. Families talk about how happy their children are at the pre-school and the positive impact it has had on their development.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy well-established routines. Staff carefully teach these and children understand the routine of the day. This supports children's emotional wellbeing and behaviour. The pre- school environment is incredibly calm, which enables children to remain focused on their learning. Mealtimes are very sociable. Children and staff talk about the healthy food they are eating, and their families and home lives. This helps staff to get to know children well.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to support children who may have barriers to their learning to realise a transformational impact on all children's progress and achievement.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers 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.

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Address:

Harlington Lower School Westoning Road, Harlington Dunstable LU5 6PD

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Harlington Village Pre-School

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:15,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 08:45,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:15 - 18:00

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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. 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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