YMCA Showroom Pre-school Playgroup

In January 2024, pretend lemonade, oats to scoop and story-inspired house building characterised play at YMCA Showroom Pre-school Playgroup: everyday activities became starting points for conversation, movement and discovery. At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective.

Based at The Showroom on Tritton Road in Lincoln, the playgroup has 24 places in total and accepts children aged 0 to 36 months. Capacity describes the whole setting, rather than the number of children sharing an activity or room.

In January 2024, children chose resources for themselves and developed imaginary situations together. Practitioners joined their pretend play, responding to their ideas and introducing language through conversation. Oats offered a different kind of exploration: children filled containers, emptied them and carried the material between areas as their interests changed. These were concrete opportunities to practise hand movements and explore what objects could do.

In January 2024, children also followed staff instructions readily and stayed close to practitioners as they moved between rooms. Cooperation extended beyond activities to movement through the building. For families, this is a useful example of how children managed shared routines as well as choosing their own play.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means play and daily routines contribute to learning as well as meeting children's care needs.

A recurring story shaped activities in January 2024. Building houses for the three little pigs brought the story into practical play, with children exploring strength and weakness through construction. Books were a starting point for further activity, rather than a separate part of the day.

Learning a physical skill could also involve small steps. In January 2024, practitioners helped children understand a direction before demonstrating how to move a push-along vehicle and helping them position their feet. The practical implication is clear: a task could be broken down so a child had something manageable to try next.

In January 2024, familiar practitioners helped children settle and responded with comfort when children needed it. Staff shared information about care needs and children's next learning steps, connecting daily care with the activities they planned. Language screening also informed the choice of activities. In January 2024, practitioners used a screening tool to track how children's language and understanding were developing, then chose activities in response. Assessment therefore had a practical purpose: it helped staff decide what to work on with each child, rather than simply recording what they could already do.

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities were less engaged during independent play, while some parents wanted fuller developmental updates or were unclear about their child's key person. These concerns matter differently: one affects participation in learning, the other a family's understanding of who coordinates their child's care.

Parents were invited to see how play supported learning in January 2024, giving them examples they could use at home. Children also had drinking water within reach, and practitioners explained handwashing before eating. Everyday routines formed part of learning to look after themselves.

The address is YMCA Lincolnshire, The Showroom, Tritton Road, Lincoln, LN6 7QY. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays, across the year. An opening window helps families assess whether the setting fits their working day; it should be considered separately from the attendance arrangement they book.

In January 2024, the setting provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position, rather than a promise of a particular entitlement or attendance arrangement today.

• Independent play and additional needs. The January 2024 findings identified weaker engagement for some children with SEND when resources were freely accessible. Families whose children need more support with attention should give this issue weight.
• Knowing the key person. Some parents in January 2024 were unsure who held this role or wanted more developmental information. A clear relationship with that practitioner matters alongside the child's daily experience.
• Attendance and the written quotation. During a visit, what booking pattern would fit your child, and how would the quotation distinguish funded hours, paid hours, food and consumables?

YMCA Showroom Pre-school Playgroup suits families seeking care for babies and young children within a weekday, year-round opening window. Its January 2024 examples show play built around conversation, books and practical exploration. The decision also needs to give proper weight to the concerns about engagement during independent play and communication with parents.