Little Eagles Pre-School

A visiting rock pool and an outdoor scavenger hunt give Little Eagles Pre-School’s June 2023 nursery day its character: experiences that gave children something concrete to explore and talk about. Based on the premises of Nether Alderley Primary School, it accepts children aged two to five.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall and identified a need to make the intended learning in adult-led activities more precise. That is the central balance for parents: a positive inspection judgement, with a specific teaching point to weigh alongside the school-site setting.

Opening hours are 8.45am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the setting closes for school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care, bringing play and learning together with their everyday wellbeing. In June 2023, children chose accessible toys, built models and used familiar routines to practise recognising their names. Selecting a name card for the attendance board made written language part of an ordinary nursery task rather than a separate exercise.

The physical layout supported different kinds of activity. In June 2023, a carpet area gave children space to construct things together, while a cosy book corner offered somewhere quieter to read. Staff helped children locate the toys they wanted and decided when to join their play. For a parent weighing the nursery day, these examples give a concrete picture of how independent choices and adult involvement fitted together.

Routine also had a practical purpose. In June 2023, children helped put things away before snack time, and counting the group was incorporated into taking the register. These were opportunities to participate in the running of the day, alongside playing with toys and reading.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2023, younger children remembered a crab escaping from a visiting rock pool. Older children searched outdoors for items on a scavenger list, examining the texture of leaves and listening for birds. The experiences supplied real objects, sounds and events to discuss. They also show two different routes into conversation: recalling something memorable and paying close attention to what is nearby.

Adult-led learning was the improvement point in June 2023. Staff sometimes needed to define more exactly what an activity should help children learn or practise. Parents should distinguish an engaging activity from one with a clear learning purpose; both matter when considering the balance of the day.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, including staff knowledge of how to raise welfare concerns, accident reporting to parents and coordination with school catering staff over children’s allergies. These findings concern practice at that visit, rather than a current guarantee.

Communication received considerable attention in June 2023. Additional staff training was planned to support communication; staff recognised possible speech difficulties and knew how to respond. Children were learning words for their feelings, giving them a way to explain an emotion and discuss the effect of their behaviour on someone else.

Practical safety was part of conversation too. In June 2023, staff discussed footwear suitable for climbing and running. Managers ensured staff knew about children’s allergies, and children eating school dinners were supported through cooperation with the school’s catering team. The connection between pre-school and school therefore extended beyond sharing premises.

School transition was another strand of the June 2023 day. Pre-school and school staff worked together on children’s move into Reception. That relationship is useful preparation to consider, but it must be kept separate from the decision about who receives a school place.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Eagles operates at Nether Alderley Primary School, Bradford Lane, Nether Alderley, Macclesfield, SK10 4TR. Its current opening window is 8.45am to 3pm on weekdays in term time. School holidays are closure periods, so the calendar is a material consideration for families organising childcare around work.

In June 2023, pre-school sessions ran from 8.45am to 3.15pm. That is the inspection-era timetable; the current opening hours above end at 3pm.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2023, the pre-school provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This establishes its participation at that time rather than a promise about a family’s present entitlement or booking arrangement.

Moving on to School

Little Eagles runs on the primary school premises. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place. Preparation for starting school and admission to it are separate decisions.

• Adult-led learning. The June 2023 improvement point concerned defining what children should learn from an activity. On a visit, ask how staff now plan an activity’s purpose and recognise what a child has gained from it.
• Term-time calendar. The setting closes for school holidays and its weekday opening window ends at 3pm. Consider how those boundaries fit the childcare hours your family needs.
• Funding and the total arrangement. Funded early education was part of the June 2023 provision. Before joining, ask for the current funding arrangement and a written quotation covering attendance, meals and consumables.
• School-site expectations. Shared premises and transition work do not secure a Reception place. Consider the pre-school decision separately from Reception admission.

Little Eagles suits families seeking a term-time pre-school on primary school premises, with a weekday timetable ending at 3pm. The June 2023 examples give substance to its nursery day: construction, quieter reading, practical routines and outdoor observation. The clearest point to explore is how adult-led activities now translate that engagement into deliberately planned learning.