Christleton Pre-School

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.