Kirkby Mallory Pre-School Playgroup

Castle-building that stretched into talk about ramparts and a portcullis captured Kirkby Mallory Pre-School Playgroup's character in May 2022: play with plenty of intellectual challenge. At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding and found that children made exceptional progress, with strong language and problem-solving skills.

The playgroup has 25 places in total at The Old School Room in Kirkby Mallory. In May 2022, the children attending were aged two to four, and attendance followed a term-time pattern.

In May 2022, children worked together on castles and towers, deciding how to connect their constructions with a bridge. This brought negotiation, building and precise vocabulary into the same activity. There was a purpose to the play.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the May 2022 examples show how play brought language, number and investigation together. A conversation about healthy food prompted staff to help children plant seeds taken from strawberries, turning an immediate interest into something they could watch develop.

Number work also belonged to ordinary routines in May 2022. Children counted those present and explored addition as another child joined the list; a number displayed at the snack table linked recognising numerals with choosing fruit.

Visits to places of worship, discussion of home celebrations and comparisons between children's villages broadened their understanding of different lives in May 2022. Books and pictures also reflected individual children, giving those conversations a personal starting point.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support highly effective, with children who needed additional help benefiting from close key-person relationships and targeted group work. A balloon activity gave children a reason to request another turn, making communication part of an enjoyable shared experience.

In May 2022, information from parents shaped settling visits around the individual child. Staff shared photographs and explanations of learning, helping families understand the purpose behind activities and support learning at home.

Safety was also discussed through play in May 2022: bridges and water activities prompted conversations about danger. Staff received regular child-protection training and knew how to refer and escalate concerns. Management gathered views from children, parents and staff and used individual teaching targets to guide development.

The address is The Old School Room, Church Road, Kirkby Mallory, Leicester, LE9 7QE.

In May 2022, morning sessions ran from 9am to midday on Mondays and Fridays, while longer term-time days ran from 9am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Funded early education was provided for two-, three- and four-year-olds at that time.

• Attendance pattern. The May 2022 timetable combined mornings with longer term-time days. Which session pattern and funding arrangements would apply to your child now?
• Personalised settling. In May 2022, parents' information shaped settling visits and staff explained learning through photographs. Use a visit to discuss how that approach would respond to your child's routines and communication needs.

Kirkby Mallory's May 2022 picture suits families drawn to purposeful play, close communication and individual support. Castle construction, strawberry planting and everyday number work made learning concrete. Its attendance model at that time served both morning-session families and those seeking longer term-time days; that dated pattern is an important part of assessing the fit.