Glenhills Pre-School

Wooden shapes turned into a table, tyres used for jumping, and visits to an on-site community library and café give Glenhills Pre-School a recognisable character in its October 2021 account. Practical play and encounters beyond the playroom sit alongside early language and writing.

At its 7 October 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and judged safeguarding effective. Glenhills has capacity for 30 children at The Memorial Hall in Glen Parva; the children attending in October 2021 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the October 2021 examples show how play supported those foundations: children experimented with wooden shapes to construct a table, persisted when their ideas did not work and practised solving problems.

In October 2021, familiar small-world characters prompted conversation between children and adults. Animated storytelling encouraged children to join in with recurring phrases, while putting their names on artwork gave preschool children a reason to practise forming letters. These were concrete routes into speaking, reading and writing.

Outdoor experiences that October included painting, digging with toy diggers in soil, balancing through an obstacle course and jumping between tyres. Sessions with a sports coach and visits to the on-site community library and café also gave children opportunities to meet less familiar people. Indoors, however, the quantity of resources distracted children from sustained play.

In October 2021, staff knew their key children and could identify their next learning steps. Emotional wellbeing at the start of attendance and communication were priorities, linking relationships with what children needed to learn.

Calm exchanges and consistent expectations helped children share and take turns that October. A sand timer made the wait for a toy understandable, while a tidy-up song signalled the change towards lunch. Staff checked adult deployment as children moved between indoor and outdoor areas, and communicated when taking children to the bathroom so the door could be secured.

The address is The Memorial Hall, Dorothy Avenue, Glen Parva, Leicester, LE2 9JD.

In October 2021, attendance ran during term time, Monday to Friday. Session times were 8.45am to 11.45am on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and 8.45am to 2.45pm on Wednesday and Thursday. That timetable combined shorter mornings with longer days on two weekdays.

• Indoor choice. In October 2021, abundant toys interrupted children's concentration. On a visit, look at how resources are arranged to help children stay with an activity.
• Staff development. The October 2021 improvement action called for more precise supervision feedback to strengthen teaching. Ask how feedback now translates into changes in staff practice.
• Attendance pattern. The October 2021 timetable mixed mornings with longer Wednesday and Thursday sessions. Which current term-time sessions would fit your family's week?

Glenhills suits consideration by families drawn to practical play, early conversation and community contact. Its October 2021 account combines thoughtful everyday routines with clear improvements needed in indoor organisation and staff feedback. For families weighing shorter mornings against longer term-time days, that dated attendance pattern is a useful starting point for the visit discussion.