Heanor Pre-School

A wooden pallet became a pretend holiday car, while ribbons and crayons connected movement with early drawing: Heanor Pre-School's September 2021 daily life combined imaginative play with practical learning. At its 28 September 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective.

Based at Heanor Baptist Church in Heanor, the pre-school has 30 places in total. Children attending in September 2021 were aged two to four. The strongest examples from that period concerned children making choices, cooperating with friends and extending language practice into family life.

In September 2021, wiggles and squiggles linked dancing with mark-making: children made sweeping movements with ribbons before trying similar actions with crayons on a large paper roll. The activity gave physical movement a practical connection to drawing. It was learning children could join with their whole bodies.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, care and development. Here, September 2021 examples included imaginative play, conversation, movement and everyday independence, showing how learning could happen through ordinary activities rather than separate lessons.

Outside in September 2021, children used a wooden pallet for pretend journeys to a farm or the seaside, choosing roles and discussing their plans. An outdoor sand pit also prompted cooperation as children helped one another with water buckets. These were concrete opportunities to make decisions and share materials.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that links with partner services helped staff obtain additional support when learning needs emerged, and that additional funding was used effectively for children's development and experiences. This included resources for home and ingredients for cooking activities.

In September 2021, chatter bags took everyday objects home so families could practise words with their children. That made language practice tangible: parents had objects to use in conversation rather than simply an instruction to encourage talking.

Picture prompts supported handwashing and dressing in September 2021. Staff also helped children work through disagreements over shared belongings, encouraging them to agree turns. Independence and cooperation were part of the same daily routines.

The address is Heanor Baptist Church, Derby Road, Heanor, DE75 7QL.

In September 2021, opening hours were 9am to 3pm on Monday and Wednesday, and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. These were opening windows, rather than named booking packages. The difference between days matters for families planning care around work or other commitments.

Funded early education for children aged two, three and four was provided in September 2021. This is a dated account of participation, rather than a promise of a particular funded attendance arrangement today.

• Attendance fit. September 2021 opening hours differed across the week. What attendance patterns, accepted ages and funded arrangements now apply to your child?
• Staff development. In September 2021, staff needed more training, mentoring and coaching to help them adjust their teaching. This was the specific improvement priority, and makes support for practitioners an important part of judging the provision.

Heanor Pre-School merits consideration for families who value imaginative play, practical independence and language activities that connect home with the setting. The September 2021 examples give that recommendation substance: children devised pretend journeys, negotiated turns and used objects to practise words with parents.

Its appeal rests on those concrete experiences alongside the dated Good judgement. Families whose care needs resemble the shorter and longer opening windows documented in September 2021 have a useful starting point for considering attendance fit.