St. Laurence Pre-school and Club 11

Play, conversation and growing independence give this Long Eaton nursery its character. St. Laurence Pre-school and Club 11 combines a Playgroup for two-year-olds with Rising 3's and a Preschool class, giving children a staged route towards school rather than one undifferentiated group. It has 50 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a class size.

At its 23 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, with everyday mathematics, language activities and planning around children's interests among its strengths. That dated assessment provides useful detail about how children learned, alongside a specific improvement point about giving them longer to answer questions.

For families, flexibility is another substantial attraction: morning, afternoon, core-day and full-day bookings sit alongside a choice of term-time or year-round attendance. The practical differences between those options deserve attention, especially when matching funded hours to working patterns.

Rooms and Ages

Playgroup introduces two-year-olds to independent play through singing, creative activities and exploration, with settling support built into the class description. Rising 3's begins when children turn three and emphasises developing skills, curiosity and confidence. The Preschool class concentrates on independence and preparation for school during children's final year before Reception.

These are stages with different purposes. For a younger child, the emphasis is on becoming comfortable away from home and exploring unfamiliar activities; for an older child, it shifts towards managing more independently. The class progression helps parents understand what changes as their child grows.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means play and everyday routines support communication, physical development and growing understanding, rather than learning being confined to a formal lesson.

In August 2022, mathematics appeared in ordinary activities: children recognised shapes in familiar objects, experimented with dividing dough and used size words while discussing lunch. These examples matter because they connect mathematical language to things children can handle and understand. Ideas have a practical setting.

During the same month, small-group activities encouraged listening and attention, with rhymes and action songs contributing to the language emphasis. Story sessions invited children to discuss pictures and predict what might happen next; staff increased story length over the year as part of preparation for school. Books connected with activity themes also gave children another way to explore an idea.

There was a limitation. In August 2022, adults sometimes moved to another question or supplied an answer before children had time to respond. Giving children more thinking time was the improvement requested, an important distinction between hearing plenty of language and having enough space to use their own.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden provided material for observation in August 2022, including changing leaf colours, while cloud shapes prompted discussion outdoors. Ball activities and obstacle courses added physical challenges. Together, those examples show how outdoor space supported both movement and conversation at that time.

Holiday play sessions are offered often during half-term and summer breaks. They provide another attendance option for children who benefit from maintaining a familiar routine, though the nursery presents them as a recurring offer rather than a fixed holiday timetable.

Familiar interests helped shape settling in August 2022. Staff asked parents about favourite toys and activities, then made those available inside and outdoors. The key-person arrangement linked that knowledge with observation and planning, giving the child's interests a practical role in their early experience.

In August 2022, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described a key-person system that supported individual needs, alongside picture cards helping children learning English to communicate requests. Child-protection discussions, scenario exercises, daily checks of the premises and staff supervision formed part of the safeguarding arrangements at that time.

Communication with families also had substance in August 2022: staff regularly shared information about children's learning. Children practised taking turns and received simple language prompts for asking for help. This connected relationships with communication, rather than treating social skills as a separate activity.

School preparation runs through the current Preschool class description, including work with local schools. In August 2022, managers also worked with local schools to understand the skills expected when children moved into Reception. This is preparation for the next stage; it should not be read as an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Library Grounds, Broad Street, Long Eaton, NG10 1JH. Families can make an enquiry through the contact form, by telephone or by email.

Morning Session runs from 9am to noon, Afternoon Session from noon to 3pm, and Core Day Session from 9am to 3pm. Full-day bookings run from 7.30am to 5pm, with the full-week pattern covering Monday to Friday. These options distinguish a shorter play session from a school-length day and a longer working-day arrangement.

For two-year-olds, there is no minimum number of booked days or sessions, and attendance can be during term time or throughout the year. Flexible start and finish arrangements are also offered for full-day care. That gives families room to build a pattern around their child's readiness as well as their own commitments.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for two-year-olds and for children aged three and four, with 15-hour and 30-hour allocations described according to entitlement. Funding can be used during term time or spread across the 50 weeks the nursery opens. The weekly allocation for a stretched arrangement depends on when it begins, and funded hours can be applied to different session times.

When funding covers all booked hours, no childcare fee is payable; hours beyond the allocation are charged. Breakfast and snacks are included, including for funded attendance, while families supply a packed lunch. Families can telephone the nursery to discuss their requirements and costs, and the funding and fees page explains the charging structure.

Invoices are issued monthly, on the first Monday, with bank-transfer payment due ten days afterwards. Sickness and holidays do not attract refunds under the terms. Inset days carry neither funding nor a charge and cannot be exchanged for another day.

• Time to answer. The August 2022 improvement point concerned adults moving on before children could respond. During a visit, ask how practitioners now give children space to think and speak during group activities.
• The first attendance pattern. Two-year-olds can attend without a minimum booking commitment, and shorter sessions sit alongside full days. Discuss which starting pattern suits your child's settling needs and how that could change over time.
• Funding across the year. Spreading entitlement across 50 weeks changes the weekly allocation, with extra booked hours charged separately. Agree the attendance pattern and funded-hour calculation together before committing.
• Absence and inset days. Holidays and sickness are not refunded, and inset days cannot be swapped. These terms matter for families whose plans change frequently or who need care on particular dates.

St. Laurence suits families seeking either short morning or afternoon sessions, a core day, or a longer full-day arrangement, with term-time and year-round choices adding flexibility. Its class progression gives the offer a clear shape, from Playgroup exploration to Preschool independence.

The August 2022 assessment supports a positive view of the provision at that time, grounded in practical learning and individual settling arrangements. The language improvement point deserves equal weight. For parents, the strongest combination is a staged nursery experience and an attendance model that can accommodate more than one family routine.