In May 2025, an inspector came to our pre-school to give us an Ofsted inspection, something we haven’t had since 2019!
We’re thrilled to say we were given a ‘Good’ rating, something we’re incredibly proud of and something that we believe truly represents our village pre-school. We really felt that the inspector understood what our ethos is and why we do what we do, and she just smiled the whole way through the inspection.
What goes into an Ofsted inspection?
When an inspector from Ofsted comes to an education centre, they’re looking at a number of things, from facilities to how well the children interact with the staff. To give you an idea, these are just some of the things they might observe and comment on:
1. The Quality of Education
Basically, they want to know what you’re teaching, why you’re teaching it and whether it’s working. They’ll chat to staff, observe what’s going on, and have a nose through your planning. It’s not about putting on a show, but about showing that your curriculum makes sense for the children you care for and that they’re actually learning and making progress.
2. Behaviour and Attitudes
How do the children behave? Are they engaged, respectful, and happy? Inspectors want to see that children feel safe, confident, and ready to learn. And yes, things like attendance and punctuality matter too, but they understand the difference between a sick day and a bigger issue.
3. Personal Development
This one’s all about the whole child. Are you helping them build confidence? Encouraging kindness, resilience, curiosity? Ofsted is keen to see how you support children beyond the basics—how you help them become well-rounded little humans.
4. Leadership and Management
Inspectors will want to know who’s steering the ship. Are leaders clear on what they want the setting to achieve? Do they support the team properly? Are staff happy and well-trained? This bit is as much about looking after the grown-ups as it is about the children.
5. Safeguarding
This is always a top priority. Inspectors want to see that everyone knows what to do if they’re worried about a child, that training is up to date, and that you’ve got solid systems in place. They’re not just looking at paperwork—they’re checking whether the setting actually feels safe.
At the end of the day, Ofsted inspectors are trying to get a real sense of what your setting is like for the children who walk through the door each day. So while the lead-up can feel stressful, it really is about showing the care, effort and heart that go into what you do.
Our inspection
We found our inspection to be as informal as it could possibly be, which allowed us to relax. We carried about our day in exactly the same way we usually would. The inspector spent a lot of time with the children, and we were thrilled that she really seemed to ‘get’ us.
She seemed to really love the outdoor environment and our curriculum, ethos and pedagogy (particularly ‘in the moment’ planning).
When she gave some verbal feedback on the day, she said that we had achieved a “‘secure good in all areas, with some elements of outstanding practice”, that we have a beautiful setting and that the children spoke volumes in terms of their emotional and physical stability.
She also commented that the children felt so secure here that they would go to and spend time with any practitioner. We could not ask for any more than this! We feel it and see it every day in the children, but to have this validation from an ‘outsider’ means the world to us.
The inspector spent the time talking to parents, too, something that is incredibly important and gives her more of a non-biased opinion than staff may be able to do. All of our parents were really positive and had some great conversations with her, which I’m sure helped our cause.
Heather, our pre-school manager, was also able to speak to the inspector about the links that we have with the rest of the community, particularly Dodleston Primary School, and about our book swap initiative, our pantry and how we fundraise to continue to run in our small but close-knit village.
Please read it if you have time because as a team of committee and staff we are immensely proud of ourselves, yourselves and the children. We found the inspection to be as informal
She did give us two points for improvement, and these have already been addressed and will form part of our practice going forward. These points were:
- To provide more opportunities for children to gain independence and carry out routine tasks for themselves
- To strengthen partnerships with any other settings that children also attend to help to promote greater consistency in children’s care and learning.
You can read the full report by clicking on the image below!
Thank you to every single person who supports our village pre-school. We really wouldn’t be here without the community, the parents, the committee and most importantly, the children!
You can view all our historical Ofsted reports here.
