Castle Hill Preschool Receives Lower Ofsted Rating
According to a recent internal report, the Castle Hill Preschool in Basingstoke, a self-governing, committee-run, charitable institution, has been rated as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted. This rating was given after an evaluation conducted on December 6, the results of which were made public on February 20.
Earlier Rating and New Criticisms
In contrast to its previous ‘good’ rating in March 2018, the preschool has faced criticisms for a perceived lack of consistency in the teaching quality and purposeful play and learning activities it offers. However, it is important to note that despite these negative aspects, our source found good aspects of the preschool as well.
Strengths Noted by the Report
The internal inspection acknowledged the staff’s commendable understanding of children’s educational needs and their ability to identify gaps in development. The staff were also commended for their understanding of the benefits of certain activities for learning and their competence in providing quality interactions, which aid in closing learning gaps and promoting children’s progress.
Furthermore, the report emphasized that children are content at the preschool. They foster positive relationships with the staff and cultivate friendships among each other. However, the report did point out several areas of concern.
Noted Weaknesses
According to the report, the preschool lacks in oversight and monitoring of the teaching quality and successful implementation of the curriculum. It was also found that the preschool failed to report significant events to Ofsted and had not completely utilized both their indoor and outdoor spaces to promote learning and engagement among the children.
Notwithstanding these issues, our source did not fail to shed light on the positive and effective safeguarding measures in place at the preschool. The strong bonds formed between the staff, the children, and their families were also noted and appreciated.
Preschool Response and Plan Moving Forward
In response to this critique, the preschool is reportedly collaborating closely with the Early Years Development Team. The main objective of this collaboration is to bring necessary changes into effect. These will chiefly revolve around improving the environment of the preschool while refining and implementing a more effective curriculum.
