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Dear Parents and Carers,

 

We wanted to share some context following our recent Ofsted inspection and explain what this really means for our preschool. 💛

 

As many of you know, we are a small charity-run setting. This means we are legally required to have a volunteer committee who help run the preschool behind the scenes — from overseeing finances to approving policies. These generous volunteers give up their own time each week, alongside work and family life. Without them, we simply couldn’t stay open.

 

Because we’re a charity, technically anyone from the community could volunteer to join the committee. That’s why Ofsted requires every committee member to complete an EY2 suitability check. This check helps make sure anyone in a governance role is suitable, even if they never work directly with the children.

 

Unfortunately, these EY2 checks can take up to six months to come back, and until they do, Ofsted counts those roles as “non-compliant” — even if that person already has an enhanced DBS check or works in a school. Sadly, during this inspection some EY2s hadn’t been returned in time. This was also the case in the previous inspection (before I became manager), and because it happened again, it had a bigger impact on our grading — specifically under leadership and governance, which Ofsted considers the responsibility of the committee.

 

🛡️ Keeping children safe always comes first

We want to reassure you that children’s safety and wellbeing remain at the heart of everything we do. In fact, we go beyond what is required:

 

All committee members — including staff who have stepped in to help keep the preschool running — must complete an enhanced DBS check before they start.

 

We also gather references, check work history and follow our own safeguarding procedures until the EY2 is approved.

 

Only when an EY2 is fully returned do committee members get access to sensitive data.

 

Until then, they do not see any child information or take part in discussions about individual children.

 

The EY2 check is still an important legal document because, as a charity, anyone could technically join the committee. But we have strengthened things further: everyone on the committee now has an enhanced DBS check, which means the committee remains fully safeguarded even while waiting for EY2 paperwork to come back.

Private settings do not need a EY2 and no checks are completed on management, this is only a criteria for Charites as historically anyone could join.

 

Because there hasn’t been much interest from new volunteers, some members of our staff team have had to step in and join the committee — otherwise, the preschool wouldn’t be able to stay open. These staff members also complete EY2s, purely for the governance role, not their daily work with the children.

 

✨ What Ofsted said

Ofsted classes the committee as the “leadership body,” while the manager and staff team run the day-to-day care and education.

 

The inspector praised us for:

 

✅ Strong staff leadership and development

✅ Warm, caring interactions with the children

✅ A calm, nurturing environment and consistent daily routines

 

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🌱 What happens next?

We are already acting on feedback. For example, we’ve updated how we deliver SEN interventions. Instead of taking children to quieter spaces (as previously advised), we now support them within the main room, which keeps everything inclusive while still providing focused help.

 

We’re also trialling different approaches to make sure every child still gets the dedicated support they need without distractions.

 

💬 A final note from us

We know the word “Inadequate” can sound alarming. But please remember: this outcome was purely due to committee paperwork delays — not about the quality of care, safety or learning your children receive.

 

There were no safeguarding concerns, and the report itself highlights the strengths of our staff team, environment and the daily experiences we provide for your children.

 

We’re incredibly proud of what we do, of our amazing team, and of the supportive preschool community we share with you. Thank you so much for your continued trust — it truly means the world to us.

 

We promise to keep giving every child the very best start. 💛

 

We have already enlisted a whole new committee or will be posting after this update introducing themselves, we are grateful for their help and the pre school being able to still open.

We are currently in the process of updating all new committee contacts until we have assign a email for our chair, can we direct you to our treasure for any questions you may have, rhoda.thomas@longbuckbypreschool.com

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All the positives from the report and the educations elements which we are extremely proud of, ​

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✨ We are incredibly proud of our amazing team, and wanted to share with you all the wonderful positives highlighted in our recent Ofsted inspection.

 

It’s important to remember that at no point was the quality of care or the daily experiences we provide for the children questioned. In fact, Ofsted praised many aspects of what we do — especially how warmly and confidently the children settle each day, which is a real reflection of the dedication and care shown by our staff team.

 

Here’s what Ofsted recognised and celebrated about our setting,

✅ Children arrive happy and excited to see staff, settling quickly into play.

✅ Staff give children time to play and be active outdoors before coming inside — supporting children’s wellbeing and helping them regulate their emotions so they stay focused and motivated.

✅ Staff know the children really well and set up activities linked to their interests and next steps — helping them learn through imaginative play, like making pretend cups of tea in the role-play kitchen.

✅ Children get involved in the local community — for example, making bunches of flowers to give to village shops and listening to local professionals, like a police officer talking about road safety.

✅ Leaders support staff wellbeing, providing regular supervision and observing staff interactions to keep practice strong.

✅ Staff help children feel confident, encouraging them to make friends and play independently.

✅ Staff teach children about caring for their teeth, reading books about tooth brushing and supporting them to brush after lunch — even arranging a visit from a dentist to help build awareness.

✅ Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported through visual aids, like picture boards showing what’s happening next — helping them manage transitions and daily routines.

✅ Staff are skilled at promoting language and communication, reading stories, singing songs and even adding fun new verses that keep children engaged and excited.

✅ Staff help children build independence: using the toilet, washing hands, spreading butter on crackers and pouring drinks themselves — all great preparation for starting school.

✅ Staff model kindness and positive behaviour, creating a calm and happy environment where children share, laugh and enjoy playing together. ✅ Strong partnerships with parents: staff keep you up to date about your child’s progress and interests, suggest fun weekly home challenges like tower-building competitions, and encourage sharing updates through the app — helping your child’s learning continue at home. As a team, we have found this recent period to be exceptionally challenging. The recent Ofsted downgrade was not a reflection of the care, commitment, and dedication we provide to the children each day; rather, it was solely the result of administrative and committee-related matters beyond the scope of our daily responsibilities and, regrettably, beyond our direct control.

 

If you would like to discuss the report any further please contact our committee,

Thank you for all your support.

 

Kind Regards

Pre School

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