Silverstone Pre-School

Silverstone Pre-School
Unique reference number (URN): 219960
Address: Chapel Rooms, Murswell Lane, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, NN12 8UT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 01/01/1971
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Silverstone Pre-School Group Committee
Inspection report: 13 January 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children who have barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their starting points. They show interest in
learning and stay motivated during activities.
Children's progress in their learning and development is evident across the setting. They
grow in confidence when speaking to others, invite friends into their play and interact with
staff and peers with increasing thoughtfulness. Children successfully express their ideas as
they make dinosaur footprints with paint, developing positive communication and language
skills. Children develop questioning and reasoning skills and build independence through
daily routines, such as washing their hands, using pencils and scissors and pouring milk at
snack time.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave well and
show consideration for others. Staff build warm, trusting relationships and act as positive
role models. They model turn taking, sharing and polite language. Children mirror this in
their play, for example, by sharing play dough when they notice someone has less.
Leaders have procedures in place to monitor attendance. They help parents to understand
the importance of how regular attendance and punctuality impacts their children's early
education.
Staff adapt the environment to keep children interested, such as by adding paint and paper
to the dinosaur play to spark curiosity. Leaders recognise the importance of familiar routines.
Staff follow clear routines so that children know what to expect, including self registering on
arrival. Children's transitions between rooms are well planned, with short visits and clear
communication between key persons to help children feel secure.
Children understand the rules and boundaries of the setting. They explain how to stay safe,
such as avoiding running on wet grass. When disagreements occur, staff guide children to
solve problems, for example, by reminding them how to take turns when rolling balls down a
pipe.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their practice. They
know the children well and talk confidently about their personalities, interests and any
barriers to learning. This knowledge helps them plan an environment that meets children's
individual needs. For example, staff provide sensory experiences and calm spaces where
children can rest or regulate. This helps children to feel safe, secure and ready to learn.

Children form secure relationships with their key person and seek comfort when they need
reassurance. Staff support emotional regulation through resources such as a sensory tent,
mirrors and communication cards. Praise and encouragement help build confidence as they
use dinosaurs to create tracks. Children show their confidence by extending their learning,
for example by painting their hands and comparing them to the dinosaur prints.
Children play well together and demonstrate positive attitudes. They invite others into their
play and enjoy shared experiences. Daily outdoor play supports children's physical
development. Children also begin to learn how to assess risks and learn how to make safe
choices, such as noticing when equipment is wet or slippery.
Leaders ensure that hygiene routines meet children's individual needs. Children wash their
hands before eating and after nappy changes. Toilet training is personalised, with staff
working closely with parents to keep routines consistent. Staff also promote healthy eating
and oral hygiene through opportunities to deepen children's understanding.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders plan a broad curriculum that supports all children to develop the knowledge and
skills needed for starting school. Staff use the information they gather from parents
alongside their own observations and assessments of children's achievements to establish
accurate starting points and next steps.
Independent play is well organised. Children use real fruit, vegetables and safety knives to
cut and explore, which builds confidence, language and independence. As a result, children
engage well with the provision. Leaders and staff adapt activities for different ages and
stages. However, some activities are not sequenced in a way that supports secure
progression, such as recognising and writing capital letters.
Children enjoy books, retell familiar stories and choose stories for staff to read. Staff create
a language-rich environment through talking, questioning and listening. For example, staff
introduce new words during play, such as 'smooth' and 'squeeze' when exploring play
dough. Staff sing songs with enthusiasm and actions. This holds children's attention as they
join in. Staff teach emotional literacy through visual aids, mirrors and guided support.
Staff teach mathematical language through practical exploration, such as counting toy fish
and measuring brick obstacle courses. Practice varies across rooms, and staff do not
consistently enhance children's mathematical knowledge and skills to deepen children's
learning.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders identify children's emerging and developing needs with accuracy. They create an
inclusive environment where children, including those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to their learning, feel they belong.
Staff adapt provision so all children can take part in ways that suit them. For example, when
children are reluctant to join activities, practitioners bring learning into spaces where children
feel more comfortable.

Leaders monitor the impact of any interventions and adapt them when needed. They use
targeted activities, such as blowing bubbles to build social interactions, to meet individual
children's needs. Staff use communication boards, visual aids and other tools to support
children's understanding and language development. Leaders use additional funding to
reduce barriers, including creating a calming area for children who need time to regulate
their emotions. Staff work with parents to keep support at home and in the setting
consistent.
Leaders work with external professionals and follow specialist advice to help ensure that all
children's needs are met. Leaders have completed suitable training to support children with
SEND. However, this expertise is not yet shared consistently across the staff team. Not all
staff have a secure grasp of the strategies being used, which means adaptations are not
always implemented with the same confidence or precision.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders work collaboratively to maintain a clear and consistent vision for the setting.
Ongoing professional discussions and support help staff build confidence in delivering
interventions that promote children's learning, development and wellbeing. Leaders provide
a range of professional support for staff. They discuss staff assessment, special education
needs and/or disabilities provision and risk assessments. Leaders monitor the impact of staff
performance through peer observations and ongoing supervision.
As part of leadership development, leaders have strengthened their approach to staff
wellbeing by giving staff access to professional support, if needed. Staff feel valued, and
workload is manageable. Leaders have recently signed up to a new training provider.
However, training is not yet targeted sharply enough to address individual staff needs to
develop their skills and knowledge.
Safer recruitment procedures are in place. New staff complete a full induction and feel
supported as they settle into their roles. Leaders check ongoing suitability through
supervision and regular updates to required documentation, helping maintain a safe culture.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive to a warm, inclusive environment where staff help them feel valued from the
moment they walk in. They come in happily, eager to see staff and friends. Children settle
quickly into their play. Staff stay close by to offer reassurance, including a cuddle for any
child who needs extra support to settle. Staff support children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers, well. Leaders and staff work
closely with parents to understand home routines so children feel secure. Familiar routines,
such as hanging their name tag on the registration tree, strengthen children's sense of
belonging. Children make steady progress because staff build on what they know and can
do, helping them develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage in their
education.
Staff know the children well and meet their individual needs with care and consistency. The
key-person system gives every child a trusted adult who knows them well. Staff offer
children choices throughout the day, such as selecting their snack, choosing where to play
and deciding what story they would like to read. Younger children select musical instruments
to play at song time. These opportunities build children's independence and confidence.
Children behave well because staff set clear, consistent expectations. Children understand
boundaries and feel safe. During group times, children listen attentively and follow
instructions. They enjoy talking to staff as they know they will be listened to. Children
confidently ask questions about if it will be icy when they go out to play. Staff encourage
children to talk about why it might not be icy anymore. Children gleefully respond that it is
warmer and the ice would have melted. Staff praise the children for their expert knowledge.

Inspector:
Annette Franklin
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 219960
Address:
Chapel Rooms
Murswell Lane
Silverstone
Northamptonshire
NN12 8UT
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 01/01/1971
Children take part in a wide range of activities that support their physical development. They
build obstacle courses with foam bricks, balancing carefully as they walk along. Outdoors,
they run, climb and explore with enthusiasm.
Next steps
Leaders should target training opportunities for staff to help them build upon their current
professional knowledge and skills precisely.
Leaders should monitor the teaching of mathematics to ensure consistency across the
setting.
Leaders should review activities to ensure that they are correctly sequenced to ensure
secure progression.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs
coordinator during the 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.

Registered person: Silverstone Pre-School Group Committee
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:30
Local authority: West Northamptonshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 13 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
37
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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