Christleton Pre-School

Christleton Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): 305024 Address: The Scout Hut, Whites Lane, Christleton, CH3 6AH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/04/1986 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Christleton Pre-School 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff respect children's views. They ask children about their interests and incorporate their ideas into the programme of play. Respecting children's opinions successfully builds their self-esteem and sense of pride because they feel valued. For instance, despite the rain children are keen to play outdoors. This is quickly accommodated by staff, who facilitate this request. Similarly, children ask to play with the toy dinosaurs, following their interests in this area. This democratic approach to listening and respecting children's comments and ideas contributes to their positive behaviours and attitudes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children understand simple rules and generally behave well. Staff ask them to help prepare the space for lunchtime, and they enjoy helping by undertaking this small responsibility. When children are upset, staff swiftly offer reassuring encouragement. If children experience age-appropriate disagreements with their peers, staff quickly step in and help children to work through their differences. Staff are consistent in their approach to managing behaviour and, typically, children's behaviour is cooperative and helpful.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families to promote attendance. Staff frequently remind parents and carers about the importance of regular attendance. Any barriers to children's punctuality are overcome to ensure every child accesses uninterrupted learning at the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The atmosphere in the setting is calm and purposeful. Staff create different learning areas, each supporting an aspect of children's development. For instance, there is an inviting reading corner and exciting role-play area which children explore with great intrigue and focus. This purposeful and carefully designed environment helps to create an orderly space which supports children's all-round learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders set out what children will learn at different ages and stages, and this is closely followed by staff. This means children's learning is well sequenced. Staff and leaders meet every morning to discuss the planned activities for the day ahead. Collectively, they identify and agree the intended learning for each activity. This enables staff to focus their teaching to narrow gaps in children's development. There is a whole-team approach to teaching, which works well. Overall, the lack of named key person does not impact on children acquiring key skills and knowledge in readiness for the next stage in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff observe children and use an online system to track and monitor children's development. Generally, staff know what children like and can do and use this knowledge to design and deliver learning opportunities that meet children's needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff prioritise children's language development. They ask questions and listen to children's responses. Children successfully engage in mature two-way conversations. Staff introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary. For instance, when talking about the rain, staff introduce new descriptive words, such as 'soaking' and 'drizzly'. Children listen and then use

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Needs attention

these new words in their responses, indicating teaching impacts on children's communication skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make sure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive specialist support where needed. Staff benefit from the expertise of speech and language therapists, to help them meet children's unique needs. Staff have developed secure links with local schoolteachers, including specialist school staff, to provide all children with individualised transitions when they move on to school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff celebrate children's uniqueness. They are proud of this small community pre-school and how it supports the families who live locally. Typically, every child is welcome, and staff adapt their practice wherever possible to support children in their care. This is an inclusive pre-school where generally everyone is supported to thrive.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding wisely. They consider the best way to spend extra funding to extend opportunities for the most vulnerable or disadvantaged families they support. For instance, leaders fund extra sessions to enable children to attend more regularly and minimise any interruptions to their learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

The absence of a named key person impacts on children's emotional wellbeing because they do not receive tailored care delivered by designated staff members. This means that children lack a familiar person to offer them a settled and enriching emotional relationship. Despite this, children are typically happy, supported by kind staff. If needed, children benefit from reassuring cuddles, which bolsters their emotional resilience. Typically, children receive support to make some progress from their starting points and prepare for the eventual move to school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children receive a varied curriculum and high-quality teaching. Children, including those who face barriers to their learning, make some progress from their starting points, supported by a range of varied and engaging play experiences. Children play outside in all weathers and talk about the rain with excitement, extending their conversational skills. They enjoy exploring low-level climbing equipment, extending and mastering their physical coordination. Children march to the beat and rhythm of music, extending their large-muscle skills. They pass a ball to their friends, which promotes their understanding of instructions and turn taking. Children enjoy the time they spend in this setting and engage in plenty of fun activities. Children are eager to learn. They explore with purpose and curiosity.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children do not have a named key person. The lack of structure for accountability creates confusion about staff responsibility for children's emotional support. The staff team works together to meet children's needs, and there is a collective approach to children's care. However, this operating without identifying a named key person impacts on children's emotional wellbeing because children and families do not have a designated individual on the team to develop secure relationships. Children do not have a trusted adult for connection and emotional security. This impacts on their wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children enjoy mealtimes, which are a social occasion. Staff encourage parents and carers to provide healthy packed lunch items. They talk to children about the importance of eating nutritious food. Staff and children grow different vegetables in the small garden allotment area. Staff teach children to nurture plants and seedlings to help them to learn where their food comes from in practical, hands-on ways. This contributes to children's health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Risk assessments are rigorous and successfully promote children's safety and welfare. The setting operates from a community hall which is open to different groups and users when the pre-school is closed. Leaders and staff diligently check the safety of the space each morning to promote children's ongoing and continued welfare.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The suitability of some committee members has not been confirmed. Necessary checks have not been completed because leaders have not notified Ofsted when committee members have changed. Some members have sat on the committee for a number of years without being adequately vetted. This is a breach of the requirements of registration. The committee members have governance responsibilities. However, they are not involved in the day-to-day operation of the pre-school. They do not have any contact with children and therefore this breach has limited impact on children's welfare.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The leaders of the pre-school, including both the management team and committee, do not have adequate oversight of the service provided. There are weaknesses in the quality of practice, including omitted suitability checks and a poor key-person system, which have not been identified or addressed. The management team is eager and aspirational, but it lacks adequate support and supervision arrangements from the committee to enable the members to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff successfully engage with parents and carers. Leaders understand the important role parents and carers play, and prioritise collaboration with home. They communicate through online messaging systems and daily verbal updates. This open and effective communication helps to promote consistency for children between the home and the setting.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff access a range of online and face-to-face training. Recent training has included the new inspection framework, effective teamwork and communication. This has successfully served to build staff training and impact positively on their morale, skills and ultimately their practice.

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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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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 do not have a named key person. This means they do not have a familiar adult to help them feel safe or to provide a familiar, settled and consistent relationship. This impacts on children's emotional wellbeing and, consequently, their overall achievement. Otherwise, children receive high-quality teaching and acquire key skills and knowledge in other areas of their development. Children's concentration, focus and engagement are sustained because the activities and play opportunities offered are varied and fun. Children remain continually occupied and busy and enjoy the time they spend here. They become increasingly independent. Children move around the hall, choosing where to play with confidence. They select toys or games following their interests and extending their decision-making skills. Children put on their own coats, manage their toileting needs and wash their hands prior to eating with impressive self-assurance and self-belief.

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

Children enjoy dance and music classes delivered by external teachers. This enhancement to the curriculum helps to enrich children's experiences and extend their learning. Children show resilience and a 'can-do' attitude. For instance, children tap wooden sticks together with impressive rhythm. They extend their learning by tapping the sticks 'slow', 'fast', 'high' and 'low'. This is a trickier task, yet children show impressive perseverance and repeatedly try until they succeed. Children develop a positive attitude towards their learning, which is a wonderful foundation for their future learning successes. They are well prepared for the eventual move to school.

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

Friendships between children flourish. This is a busy and social setting where children enjoy spending time with peers. Children are regularly heard laughing, indicating their contentment and enjoyment. Children who face barriers to their learning benefit from adapted teaching to meet their different needs and abilities. This helps to ensure that learning opportunities are accessible for everyone.

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Next steps

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

ensure that children and families benefit from a named key person, to strengthen relationships, improve assessment and further support children's all-round progress 14/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen supervision procedures for all staff and managers to ensure the smooth running of the setting 14/10/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff 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:

The Scout Hut Whites Lane Christleton CH3 6AH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Christleton Pre-School Committee

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 15:30

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Address:

Local authority: Cheshire West and Chester

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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

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

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