Fleckney Baptist Pre-School

A sensory room, picture cards worn by staff and outdoor play in each session give Fleckney Baptist Pre-School a recognisable character: practical support for communication sits alongside a day built around play. Based at Fleckney Baptist Church on High Street, it has capacity for 27 children and accepts children from age two, with starting dependent on their emotional readiness.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision. The current offer includes a key person for each child, regular social communication groups and a SENDCO who works with families and outside professionals.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit within a term-time timetable. The important distinction for parents is between the shorter starter sessions and the longer, more structured patterns aimed at children approaching school age.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, covering children's communication, physical development, relationships and later skills such as early reading and mathematics. Children's interests help shape activities. This is the foundation of the provision, while the daily timetable and communication resources show how it takes practical form here.

A book corner gives children access to books they can handle themselves. Sorting, matching and counting introduce mathematical ideas through objects and games, while paint, drawing materials and collage resources allow children to experiment with their own ideas. These are concrete experiences rather than a day organised around formal lessons.

The morning includes hello songs and a sign of the week, followed by snack, key-worker time or indoor play, and stories or singing. Outdoor play returns through the day. That alternation gives children opportunities to move, listen and play in different ways rather than stay with one kind of activity throughout a session.

In July 2022, children explored shapes using magnetic pieces and whiteboards, practised pencil handling and connected the shapes with their own ideas about food. Storytime also prompted questions and new vocabulary. However, some children needed more help during their chosen play than staff recognised; developing that support was an improvement priority, alongside making staff development more systematic so teaching was more consistent.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is part of each session, with equipment and opportunities to investigate nature. Regular visits from music and dance teachers add experiences led by adults with those specialisms. Parents and carers also contribute by talking about their work or hobbies, bringing familiar people and real occupations into children's learning.

Local outings include the library and duck pond, with parental permission. These give children something concrete to explore beyond the setting: books in a community venue and features of their immediate surroundings. The outings are occasional, rather than a fixed weekly promise.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who sees them regularly and works with their family on the next steps in development. Before starting, the Getting to know me information gathers favourite stories, toys, comforters and areas where a child may need help. Familiar details give staff a starting point for settling and conversation.

Children may bring a comforter or familiar toy, and the pre-school supplies a backpack for spare clothes and personal items. Two parent meetings per academic year provide planned discussion with the key person; additional meetings can also be arranged. Communication includes conversation, occasional home diaries and All about me sheets, allowing interests and experiences from home to influence activities.

The positive behaviour policy emphasises adult examples of kindness and encouragement, with individual support when a child needs help understanding what went wrong. It excludes physical punishment and humiliating techniques. The practical aim is to help children understand behaviour, rather than make a child feel rejected.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The sensory room contains sensory equipment, lighting and calming music. Staff wear picture cards for requests, feelings and daily activities, while visual timetables help children anticipate changes. Regular social communication groups provide adult-led practice in taking turns, sharing and using language with other children.

Small Steps Tracker is the observation and record-keeping system used to follow individual development. Where additional support is needed, Targeted Plans set out agreed work with parents and are reviewed with them. The SENDCO can involve speech and language professionals, health visitors and specialist support with parental consent; inclusion funding may be sought where a child needs additional help.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff used information from families to plan support and helped children with special educational needs and disabilities take part in learning. Current arrangements include a designated safeguarding lead role, staff training in safeguarding and paediatric first aid, and procedures for identifying authorised adults collecting children. Healthy snacks feature in the day, and medication requires parental permission and instructions.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Fleckney Baptist Church, High Street, Fleckney, Leicester, LE8 8AJ. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during term time, with holiday breaks set out in the term calendar.

The booking options are a morning session from 9am to noon, a full day from 9am to 3pm, and afternoon sessions from either noon or 1pm until 3pm. Afternoon starter sessions are geared towards two-year-olds; morning sessions and full days can also be used by younger children, although the admissions policy gives priority to funded children, especially those preparing to start school that academic year.

The admissions policy requires two sessions on different days each week. Children who have turned three and will move to school at the end of the academic year must attend for at least nine hours weekly, unless special circumstances are agreed with the manager. These commitments matter when fitting attendance around work or other care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) is offered, including up to 15 hours weekly over a maximum of 38 weeks for children from the term after their third birthday, and provision for eligible two-year-olds. Extended funding of up to 30 hours is offered for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds. Delivery is term-time.

Private childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation; fees are invoiced at the start of term, with instalment payments possible by bank transfer. Booked sessions remain payable when a child is absent through illness or holidays, while days when the setting is closed are not charged.

Moving on to School

Children receive a transition report before leaving for school. Individual transition arrangements can be made for children needing additional support, and records are passed to their next school. That gives the receiving staff information about the child rather than leaving families to explain everything afresh.

• Attendance commitments. Two sessions on separate days are required, with a nine-hour minimum for children approaching school under the stated conditions. Discuss how a proposed pattern would meet those rules before booking.
• Access upstairs. The SEND policy identifies accommodation on a second-floor level. Families whose child needs mobility or moving-and-handling support should discuss how the space and access would work for them.
• Support during play. In July 2022, some children needed more adult help to develop their chosen activities, and staff development needed greater consistency. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how staff now recognise those moments and support learning.
• Food and everyday supplies. Healthy snacks are part of the day and the consent form allows staff to use their own sun cream if families have not supplied it. Ask for a written breakdown of lunch arrangements and any food or consumable charges for the attendance pattern you choose.

Fleckney Baptist Pre-School suits families seeking term-time care through morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days. Its strongest practical features are the communication tools, sensory room and individual planning mechanisms, together with a day that repeatedly returns to outdoor play.

The Good judgement from July 2022 provides a useful inspection benchmark, with clear improvement priorities concerning support during play and consistency of teaching. The choice comes down to whether the attendance commitments, upstairs accommodation and shorter operating day fit the child and the family's routine.