Heatherton Pre-School

Small-group stories, counting games and child-led superhero play give Heatherton Pre-School its character in the March 2023 account. Based at Heatherton Community Centre in Derby, it has capacity for 26 children. The children attending in March 2023 were aged two to four; that age range belongs to that visit.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good at its 24 March 2023 inspection. The strongest practical themes were help with settling, activities that exercised listening and attention, and information shared between settings.

In March 2023, children practised remembering story characters and anticipating the next part of a familiar tale in small groups. Older children used a board game to connect dots on a dice with the movement of a counter. Turn-taking mattered alongside counting: the activity gave children reasons to wait and stay involved.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the March 2023 examples show learning through stories, conversation, games and play. Children also invented superhero games together, making their own decisions about how the play developed.

Conversation was a teaching opportunity in March 2023: staff picked up children's interests and invited others to contribute. Vocabulary was the qualification to that picture. Adults did not consistently introduce language that would expand children's word knowledge.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described timely referrals for additional support, with the age-two progress check helping identify developmental needs. These are dated findings, rather than assurances about present practice.

In March 2023, staff helped children separate from their families and begin playing, while picture prompts made routines easier to understand. Calm voices and comfort helped children manage upsets. This made emotional support part of the session itself.

Families received regular updates about development and the next learning steps in March 2023. For children attending another setting alongside Heatherton, information was exchanged each term, giving adults a shared starting point for supporting learning.

Heatherton Pre-School's address is Heatherton Community Centre, Hollybrook way, Heatherton, Derby DE23 3TZ.

In March 2023, it operated on weekdays during term time, with sessions running from 9am to 3pm. It also provided funded education for children aged two, three and four. Those arrangements describe the inspection period.

• Vocabulary development. In March 2023, extending children's vocabulary was an improvement priority. Families should explore how adults now build new words into stories and everyday conversation.
• Staff development. In March 2023, improvement targets did not capture every relevant point from observations of staff practice. A useful visit question is how feedback now becomes supported, monitored action.
• Attendance and funding. The March 2023 pattern was term-time weekday sessions. What session choices and funded-hours terms would apply to your child's proposed attendance now?

Heatherton's March 2023 picture suits families seeking a preschool experience built around shared play, small-group learning and support with settling. Information exchange was also useful for children attending two settings. The Good judgement provides a dated benchmark, with vocabulary teaching and staff development the specific points to weigh alongside those strengths.