URN EY485494 · Inspected 2026-01-15 · Published 2026-03-05 · Inspector: Tina Lambert
Barn Owls Pre-School Unique reference number (URN): EY485494 Address: Etchingham Primary School and Nursery, Parsonage Croft, Etchingham, East Sussex, TN19 7BY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/02/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Barn Owls Etchingham Pre-School Committee Inspection report: 15 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. Strong standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard The setting is a happy and safe place. Children develop respectful and warm friendships with other children and with the staff who care for them. They are consistently kind and considerate towards each other and the environment. Staff swiftly recognise when children become overwhelmed, and they find ways to help children regulate their feelings and behaviour, such as using stories and puppets and through discussions. Staff teach children to resolve conflict and consider the thoughts and feelings of others. The whole-setting approach creates a calm and constructive learning environment effectively, where children thrive in their learning and emotional development. Targeted adjustments for those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have a significant impact on their sense of belonging and positive self-esteem. Staff are aware of the importance of establishing routines to help children to feel safe and to develop an understanding of what is happening next. For example, children know that the sound of ringing bells indicates that a group activity is about to start. Even the youngest of children respond with excitement and anticipation. Staff adapt the type and length of activities to consider each child's age and stage of development. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and motivation and results in willing engagement. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's attendance. They regularly share information with families to ensure that parents understand the importance of consistent and regular attendance and the significant connection between establishing routines and children's positive future outcomes. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff know the children extremely well. They develop strong and loving bonds with all children. The setting's key-person approach enables staff to continually meet each child's learning preferences and needs. Staff create a mixture of environments where children find calm and quiet, along with more lively areas where children enjoy running, balancing and climbing in the fresh air, which helps to develop their physical and coordination skills. Children can independently choose from a large range of stimulating activities, such as growing and nurturing plants and using their problem-solving skills and imagination in the 'Potion Station'. Leaders are aware that some children may not have access to the same play and learning experiences as other children. Consequently, they provide additional opportunities that some children may not have experienced before, such as meeting large farm animals and having a visit from the fire service. Staff engage extremely successfully with children to help them to understand the benefits of healthy eating habits. They teach older children about food groups, such as proteins and carbohydrates. Younger children learn that apples can be different colours and eating them can make you become 'big and strong'. Staff ensure that mealtimes are sociable occasions, which supports children's conversational skills. They use routines such as this to remind Expected standard children to eat sensibly and safely. Children comment that they must chew their food or 'it can get stuck'. Children are beginning to develop a basic awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff know the children and families well and use this knowledge to shape an inclusive environment that responds well to children's specific and individual needs. Staff provide a wealth of opportunities for those children who face barriers in their learning. They engage in additional training programmes to ensure that children's needs are fully considered and met. For example, staff are very aware that children have different learning styles, and they adapt their approach accordingly. Younger children are provided with a large variety of well-planned activities that excite and motivate children to learn. Older children are set more complex problem-solving tasks during activities that are well suited to their age and stage of development. Leaders use any additional funding to focus their support for children in specific areas, such as understanding emotions. Staff use resources such as puppets for children to begin to identify and deal with their feelings more effectively. They deploy more staff across the setting so that children benefit from individualised attention. This helps children to feel less overwhelmed as staff have the time to implement strategies that help children positively deal with changing situations. Staff work alongside families to include them in their child's educational journey. They observe and assess children's progress and areas for improvement. Parents are provided with regular detailed feedback about children's development and what parents may do at home to support the continuity of care. Staff work with other agencies to provide effective strategies that meet the needs of individual children. Achievement Expected standard Generally, children achieve well across all areas of learning. For example, older children enjoy and benefit from problem-solving activities. They are beginning to understand concepts such as prepositions of time and place. They delight when staff praise them for the successful understanding of 'next to', 'in front' and 'behind'. Younger children demonstrate a high sense of achievement when remembering that baby sheep are called lambs and make a 'baa' sound. All children progress well in their communication skills. They show that they are articulate and confident talkers as they chat with the staff and their friends. Children move between activities with growing confidence. They show that they can manage transitions and familiar routines. The achievements of children are celebrated. They show growing independence and pride in their accomplishments. For instance, children proudly show staff their writing skills and say, 'Look. That's my name!' They independently look at books, which help them to develop their literacy skills. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard The curriculum is balanced and covers all areas of learning effectively. Staff have a solid understanding of what leaders want children to learn. Children enjoy a breadth of learning experiences, particularly in mathematics. For example, all children, including very young children, use mathematical language in their learning. Children use their fingers to count out objects, and staff expertly challenge them on what they know, which consolidates their learning. Staff introduce stories, rhymes and songs to support children's language skills. They give children plenty of time to respond during discussions. This helps children to feel listened to and supports their confidence in speaking in front of others. Staff ensure that children have opportunities for enhancing their physical development, such as during outside play, where children enjoy running around in the fresh air. Children develop strong bonds with staff and other children. They are confident, with high self- esteem, and develop a sense of belonging. Generally, staff understand what they want children to learn next, but some staff's understanding of how to implement the curriculum through their teaching is not yet fully embedded. As a result, there are times when some children do not always receive the same learning experience as others, which can limit what children are capable of learning. On occasion, some children are overlooked and not always consistently supported to fully participate. Despite this, children's overall involvement and enjoyment during activities is positive. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have a clear vision for continuous improvement. They have a secure understanding of the setting's strengths, and regular reflection helps them to identify areas for improvement. This enables staff to meet children's needs to a high standard and ensure that children's welfare and emotional security is at the heart of all that they do. Parents provide extremely positive views on the setting, and leaders and staff actively encourage parents' participation and feedback. Staff feed back that leaders are extremely supportive and that their wellbeing and welfare is nurtured. Staff have continuous opportunities for professional development, which positively enhances children's learning and care. For example, staff have participated in an advanced course to provide targeted support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for other children who may face barriers to their learning. Leaders, and those who hold governance, have recently taken swift and effective action to address weaknesses in the recording and consequent actions following safeguarding concerns. This means that where there are concerns raised about children, these are immediately referred in line with local reporting arrangements to ensure the safety of children. 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 Leaders and staff have created a nurturing and inclusive setting in which children's development and learning flourishes. There is a positive focus on supporting children's emotional needs. Staff use their skills effectively to play alongside children and offer a warm and meaningful approach, particularly for those children who are new to the setting or are struggling with transition. Children respond well to this and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure from a very early age. They behave well and have excellent attitudes to their learning. For example, children of all ages quickly become motivated in their learning. The Inspector: Tina Lambert About this setting setting's routines support children's understanding of what is about to happen next effectively. Children's emotional wellbeing is at the forefront of the curriculum, and leaders and staff believe this is the foundation for all learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children with emerging needs make significant progress from their starting points. Staff work with families and outside agencies to provide targeted intervention for children who are at risk of falling behind. Consequently, those children who face barriers to their learning are fully included and well prepared for the next stage in their education, such as going to school. Leaders actively promote children's good attendance. Parents are provided with information that explains the importance of regular attendance on children's future outcomes. As a result, children arrive at the setting on time, and their attendance is good. Leaders are reflective and make continuous improvements to enhance children's experiences. For example, since their last inspection, leaders and staff have transformed the outside area to entice children to play and learn. Staff have given special consideration to ensuring that children can access all areas of learning in this space. This supports the learning of all children effectively, but particularly those who prefer to learn outside. Next steps Leaders should ensure that all children are consistently encouraged to join in and benefit from staff's effective teaching at all times. Leaders should provide staff with the knowledge and skills to implement the curriculum to a higher level. About this inspection The inspector spoke to leaders, practitioners and children during the inspection. She took account of the written views of parents. 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY485494 Address: Etchingham Primary School and Nursery Parsonage Croft Etchingham East Sussex TN19 7BY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/02/2015 Registered person: Barn Owls Etchingham Pre-School Committee Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:15 Local authority: East Sussex Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 15 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 2 to 4 Total number of places 30 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. 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