Tillingham Pre-School

Tillingham Pre-School
Unique reference number (URN): 203701
Address: Tillingham Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, Tillingham, Essex, CM0 7TW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 06/09/1999
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Tillingham Pre-School Playgroup Association Committee
Inspection report: 5 December 2025
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
Achievement Strong standard
Children show a love for learning new words at every opportunity and increase their
interactive skills with their peers. They direct their reading by turning pages on their own and
talking about what they have heard and read. Children extend their vocabulary through a
love of reading. This helps them to securely build foundational knowledge and make the
best possible start in their learning.
Children have strong desires to practise their physical skills. They access a wide range of
opportunities to explore the outdoors and show curiosity about the world around them.
Children learn the skills they need to develop resilience and perseverance. For example,
children show impulses to try new challenges outdoors when climbing equipment to develop
new skills in tasks. This helps them to develop a positive attitude in their learning and
sustain high levels of concentration in their interactions and play.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff thoughtfully create an environment that positively supports all children's
learning and development. Children experience a home-from-home environment and have
plenty of opportunities to carry out independent tasks. For example, children collect their
own cups to pour drinks and prepare snacks on their plate. This helps children to develop a
positive sense of self and build their independence skills.
Leaders and staff are warm and caring. They nurture children's emotional development
through a strong key-person approach. They are positive role models and encourage
children to understand the importance of cooperation and listening to others. This helps
children to regulate their emotions, fostering positive relationships.
Leaders and staff build strong partnerships with parents. They prioritise working in
collaboration to ensure children access their entitlement. There are robust procedures to
monitor attendance, prioritising children's learning and wellbeing at all times. Leaders and
staff work with a range of professionals to ensure all children are supported, including those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They monitor children's progress
effectively from their starting points and share information appropriately. This helps to build
effective strategies for children to support achievement in their learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff build secure attachments with children and know them well. They help
children to make choices to prioritise their wellbeing. For example, children choose activities
to meet their interests and develop positive discussions in their play. Leaders and staff role
model to children the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Children confidently
wash their hands before eating and wash up their plates and cups. They demonstrate
secure self-care skills as leaders and staff guide their learning.

Leaders and staff help children to become confident communicators and to learn how to
stay healthy. Children inform leaders and staff of their own personal needs, such as toileting,
and confidently carry out hygiene practices. Through respectful interactions and
discussions, leaders and staff teach children to become increasingly independent to
manage their needs. This helps to create a nurturing environment and build warm
relationships.
Leaders and staff regularly reflect on children and families at pre-school. They ensure they
remain up to date and relevant with information to meet children's individual needs. For
example, leaders regularly share information with parents about upcoming events and
healthy food choices to develop positive habits. This helps to prioritise children's health and
wellbeing to contribute to their overall health.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders and staff plan an ambitious curriculum for all children. Children have ample
opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children experience a 'daily mile' walk to
explore the world around them. Leaders and staff teach children the importance of road
safety. They build children's experiences by role modelling how to cross the road and to look
left and right before manoeuvring. This helps to build strong independence skills and
awareness of risks.
Leaders and staff develop meaningful connections with children in their play. Children
benefit from high-quality interactions to develop their communication and language. Leaders
and staff ask children open-ended questions to extend their thinking. Children have time to
think and respond, becoming confident communicators in their play. This creates further
opportunities for children to learn new words.
Leaders and staff have high expectations for every child and ensure all children have
access to a range of activities and experiences. They fully understand some of the barriers
that children and families may face and offer opportunities to extend their experiences. For
example, children access various ways to explore outdoors to contribute to their overall
health and wellbeing. This helps children to become active learners in their play.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff know children exceptionally well. They are attentive to their needs and
swiftly identify support to ensure all children have effective strategies in place.
Leaders and staff proactively identify barriers that children and families may face. They
prioritise working with other professionals to ensure that appropriate strategies are in place.
Leaders are in regular contact with other professionals to extend support to children and
families and provide supportive intervention.
Leaders and staff have a strong key-person system in place to support all children to make
progress. They identify how to support children to make progress in their learning and
development. For example, staff discuss the training and support they receive to keep up to
date and relevant in practice. This helps them to extend their knowledge and expertise to
swiftly support gaps in children's learning.

Leaders ensure that funding is targeted appropriately, including for disadvantaged children,
to meet their individual needs. All children have effective support plans in place.
Partnerships with parents are strong to ensure children make progress and receive the early
support they need. Leaders and staff implement robust processes to ensure children have
the best possible experiences in their learning and development.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders have robust processes in place to ensure they prioritise children's learning
experiences at pre-school from the very start. They continuously reflect on practice and
make adaptations to consider strengths and develop areas of improvement through effective
decision-making. Leaders and staff carry out observations to provide high-quality
interactions and support continuous professional development.
Staff appreciate the extensive support they receive from leaders and the committee. They
receive regular supervision and have ample opportunities to discuss their progress and
development. Staff morale is high, and they demonstrate deep enthusiasm in their role to
develop their knowledge and skills. Leaders carry out in-depth inductions and training to
ensure staff understand their role and responsibilities. This contributes to positive staff
wellbeing.
Leaders work closely with parents to establish strong partnerships. Parents value the
seamless efforts leaders and staff make to get to know children and prioritise their interests.
For example, parents report that they receive regular communication in various ways.
Leaders and staff ensure they are readily available to share information. This helps parents
to feel confident in the quality of care their children receive.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive in this home-from-home pre-school and arrive ready to start their day.
Leaders and staff warmly welcome children to help them feel safe and secure. They are
skilfully responsive to children's individual needs. Children develop a deep love for the
outdoors and lead on their ideas to build obstacle courses. Staff encourage their physical
skills to climb, walk and jump from what they have created. This helps children to take safe
risks and act on the choices they make in their play.
Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum for all children. Staff prioritise children's physical
development and take part in a 'daily mile' walk. They teach children about road safety and

Inspector:
Courtney McAllister
how to follow instructions when crossing the road. Children listen and sing road safety
songs, role modelled by staff to build their understanding. This helps to support children's
awareness of the world around them, and staff praise them for the efforts they make.
Leaders and staff swiftly identify gaps to support children's individual needs. They gather
information from children's starting points to plan targeted support. They create accurate
assessments of children's development to precisely plan their next steps. This strategically
supports children to make early progress in their learning. Furthermore, leaders and staff
evaluate activities to motivate children's individual learning experiences, including those with
special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their
learning.
Children demonstrate excellent behaviour. They play alongside one another well and enjoy
carrying out tasks. For example, children work together to set up lunch and help open food.
This helps children to develop a strong understanding of appropriate behaviours. Leaders
and staff teach children how to care for and respect their environment and resources. For
example, children explore how to carefully use ceramic mugs and plates. From this, they
confidently tidy up after themselves, and staff praise them for their contribution and the
positive impact this has.
Next steps
Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure
continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a
transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to
children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or
wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and children 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.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 203701
Address:
Tillingham Village Hall
Vicarage Lane
Tillingham
Essex
CM0 7TW
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 06/09/1999
Registered person: Tillingham Pre-School Playgroup Association Committee
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Tuesday,Thursday : 09:00 - 12:00,Monday,Wednesday,Friday : 09:00 -
15:00
Local authority: Essex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 5 December 2025
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
3 to 4
Total number of places
26

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.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,
please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium,
under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy
Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information
and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2026
© Crown copyright