Ofsted report card

Small Steps Pre-School

Benmead Road, Kidlington · OX5 2DA

Inspected by Ofsted on 29 June 2026 under the report card framework.

Curriculum and teaching Needs Attention
Achievement Needs Attention
Behaviour and routines Expected Standard
Welfare and wellbeing Strong Standard
Inclusion Expected Standard
Leadership and governance Needs Attention

What each grade means

Each area is judged separately. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear — meeting it is the pass, not a mediocre result.

Curriculum and teaching

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Achievement

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Behaviour and routines

Expected Standard

The bar every provider must clear. Meeting it is the pass, not a mediocre result.

Welfare and wellbeing

Strong Standard

Clearly better than the expected standard in this area, though not exceptional.

Inclusion

Expected Standard

The bar every provider must clear. Meeting it is the pass, not a mediocre result.

Leadership and governance

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Registration

Ofsted URN
2799668
Provider type
Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Ages
2 to 4
Registered places
26
Registered since
30 July 2024
Local authority
Oxfordshire

On the Early Years Register.

Where it is

Benmead Road, Kidlington · OX5 2DA. Location from the Ofsted register.

Common questions

When was Small Steps Pre-School last inspected by Ofsted? +

Small Steps Pre-School in Benmead Road, Kidlington was last inspected on 29 June 2026. That inspection used Ofsted's report card framework, which replaced single-word overall ratings for early years settings in November 2025.

What did Ofsted say about Small Steps Pre-School? +

Ofsted graded 6 areas: curriculum and teaching — Needs Attention; achievement — Needs Attention; behaviour and routines — Expected Standard; welfare and wellbeing — Strong Standard; inclusion — Expected Standard; leadership and governance — Needs Attention. Each area is judged separately, so a setting can be stronger in one than another.

Is "expected standard" a good grade? +

Yes. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear, so meeting it is the pass rather than a mediocre result. Strong standard and exceptional sit above it; needs attention and urgent improvement sit below.

What ages does Small Steps Pre-School take? +

Small Steps Pre-School is registered for children aged 2 to 4.

How many children can Small Steps Pre-School take? +

Small Steps Pre-School is registered for up to 26 children at any one time. That is a registration limit, not the number currently attending.

How long has Small Steps Pre-School been registered? +

Small Steps Pre-School has been registered with Ofsted since 30 July 2024. Its unique reference number (URN) is 2799668.

Nearby settings

Inspection and registration information is published by Ofsted and reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Little Bees is not affiliated with Ofsted. The grade descriptions are our plain-English summaries of where each grade sits against the standard, not Ofsted's own criteria.

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