The Ark Preschool

Flour experiments, a mud kitchen and storytelling give The Ark Preschool's June 2022 account its character: children learning through materials they can handle, change and talk about. This Humberstone setting has capacity for 16 children.

At its 7 June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged two to four; that age range describes the children at the visit.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, with play providing opportunities to build skills. In June 2022, children explored how adding water changed flour, combining sensory discovery with conversation about texture. The activity gave them something concrete to investigate and explain.

Storytelling brought language and counting together. In June 2022, children used The Very Hungry Caterpillar and objects from a story sack to reconstruct the story, count fruit and match objects to pictures. Outside, chalk marks, seed planting and the mud kitchen gave children different ways to experiment and create.

There was a limitation to the pace of some activities in June 2022: children sometimes waited too long for their turn and lost interest. The improvement priority was stronger support for staff to develop their teaching further. For parents, the useful distinction is between engaging materials and keeping an activity responsive to children's attention.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with parents and other professionals to plan individual support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This connected children's learning plans with their care needs.

In June 2022, children practised everyday independence, including cleaning their hands and brushing their teeth after snack. Familiar routines helped them anticipate the next activity. Parents received spoken updates, electronic feedback and photographs, giving them several ways to follow their child's experiences.

The June 2022 account also described staff supporting children to separate from parents, encouraging turn-taking and helping them prepare for school. These are practical foundations for managing a group day, rather than an admissions advantage.

The address is Abbots Road South, Humberstone, Leicester, LE5 1DA. In June 2022, the preschool operated from Abbots Road United Reformed Church.

At that time, attendance ran from Monday to Friday during term time, with sessions from 9am to midday, 12.30pm to 3.30pm, or 9am to 3.30pm. Funded early education was provided for three- and four-year-olds in June 2022.

• Teaching pace. In June 2022, some activities demanded attention for too long, and staff development was the improvement priority. During a visit, ask how practitioners adapt games when children begin to disengage.
• Attendance fit. The June 2022 timetable combined shorter sessions with a longer daytime option during term time. Ask which arrangements now match your child's age and your working week.

The June 2022 picture suits families drawn to practical exploration, storytelling and opportunities for children to manage everyday tasks themselves. Its attendance arrangements then catered for both shorter sessions and a longer daytime session. The strongest examples were specific and tangible; the teaching-development priority deserves equal weight in the decision.