St Edmunds Preschool Community Interest Company

Play, conversation and growing independence give this community preschool its character. Based in St. Edmunds Church Hall in Allestree, St Edmunds Preschool Community Interest Company operates on a not-for-profit basis for its local community. Children join from their second birthday and stay until they move on to school. There are 30 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a measure of the size of any activity group.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good at its 5 July 2024 inspection. Practical learning supplies the colour behind that judgement: children experimented with patterns in sand, exercised their fingers with play dough and tested their balance outdoors. The same assessment identified two priorities: making larger activities work better for younger children and teaching behaviour expectations more clearly.

Term-time attendance can combine mornings, afternoons or full days, with a minimum of two sessions each week. The strongest reasons to consider St Edmunds are its play-based day, its parent communication through Tapestry and the concrete support arrangements for children with additional needs.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play across seven areas, including language, physical development and early mathematics. At St Edmunds, children make choices within their play alongside activities led by adults. This gives the day both room for individual interests and opportunities to practise skills with guidance.

Stories and singing support vocabulary, while conversations give children time to describe experiences and hear other people's ideas. Mathematics takes practical forms: matching and sequencing objects, exploring quantities with water and sand, and counting through rhymes. Small objects help children develop finger control; climbing and balancing equipment supports larger movements. These are foundations for later learning rather than formal lessons transplanted into preschool.

In July 2024, adults joined children's sand play and developed their interest in handprints into conversations about patterns. Toy animals offered younger children another way to experiment with marks. During play dough activities, squeezing and poking gave hands and fingers useful exercise, alongside encouragement to manage packets and zips. Everyday tasks mattered as much as the finished activity.

The limits of larger groups also matter. In July 2024, some younger children received less individual attention during group activities and drifted away from the learning. For a child who needs help to participate, the organisation of an activity is as important as its subject.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden with a canopy, Astroturf and a soft play surface supports outdoor use through different weather conditions. In July 2024, children turned crates into pretend cars, practised balancing on beams and jumped from logs. Adults connected movement with bodily changes, including a faster heartbeat, bringing physical activity and understanding together.

Community visitors extend the children's knowledge beyond the setting. Visits have included the Police and Fire service, giving real examples of people working in the community. Alongside stories and play about families, cultures and beliefs, these encounters provide concrete starting points for discussion.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for following their development. Tapestry, a secure online platform, shares photographs and observations with parents and carries information and guidance. Families also contribute interests and achievements from home, helping adults connect preschool activities with what matters to the individual child.

In July 2024, staff took time to learn about children and their families, and shared updates to connect learning at home with learning at preschool. Children practised handling everyday tasks themselves, including pouring drinks and opening food containers. Independence was built through manageable actions, rather than simply expecting children to cope alone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator leads support for additional needs, working with parents, Derby city council and other professionals. The graduated response means assessing a child's needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing how it works. Speech and language professionals also help shape activities within sessions for children referred for language support.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that safeguarding arrangements were effective and that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received effective support, including individual help from their key person, and made good progress from their starting points. Those are dated findings; the current support mechanism gives families a practical basis for discussing their child's needs.

Behaviour teaching was less consistent in July 2024. Some adults gave instructions without ensuring that children understood or followed them, including during tidying up. Clear explanations and follow-through were therefore an improvement priority, alongside the organisation of group learning.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during school terms. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoons run from noon to 3pm and include lunchtime. Full-day sessions are also offered, and different patterns can be combined subject to availability. This is a choice of attendance patterns within a term-time setting.

Children must attend at least two sessions per week. That rule gives families a clear minimum commitment when planning their routine. New starters normally join at the beginning of a half term, so the joining rhythm is linked to the preschool calendar.

The address is St. Edmunds Church Hall, Kings Croft, Allestree, Derby, DE22 2FN. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded places are offered, including extended entitlement funding for eligible three- and four-year-olds and Flying Start funding for eligible two-year-olds. Attendance is term-time. Additional sessions beyond a child's funded allocation are charged privately, and private fees are paid ahead of each half term. Childcare vouchers and the government's tax free childcare scheme are accepted.

An application requires a non-refundable deposit; when the child starts, part is credited against the first invoice and a book bag is supplied. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. The fees and funding page explains the charge structure.

Parents provide lunch boxes, while the preschool supplies a morning snack of fruit and/or a plain carbohydrate, with milk or water. Snack time also gives children practice in taking turns, using manners and pouring their own drinks.

• Younger children in groups. In July 2024, some younger children lost engagement when activities involved larger groups. On a visit, ask how activities are organised for children who need more individual attention.
• Behaviour expectations. Clearer teaching of boundaries was another July 2024 improvement priority. Ask how adults explain expectations and help children follow them during shared routines.
• Term-time commitment. Attendance requires at least two weekly sessions, and new children normally start at a half-term boundary. This suits a regular preschool routine, but families needing care during school holidays must plan around the term-time calendar.
• Food and everyday supplies. Morning snacks are supplied and parents provide lunch boxes. Before joining, ask how snacks and non-food supplies are treated within funded and privately paid attendance.

St Edmunds suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those combining them with full days during term time. Its practical appeal lies in children learning through play, working towards independence and sharing their experiences with parents through Tapestry. The SENCO-led support process adds useful structure for families discussing additional needs.

The July 2024 priorities deserve attention, especially for younger children who need help to stay involved in groups. A good fit here depends on the child's experience of those shared activities as well as the convenience of the timetable.