Childville Pre School, St Johns

Childville Pre School, St Johns is a pre-school at St John The Divine Church in Dagenham. Its March 2025 Ofsted inspection judged it Good across education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The strongest thread is purposeful, attentive care: children were happy and secure, while staff turned interests such as builder role play into counting, measuring and shape work.

The curriculum was broad and ambitious at the March 2025 inspection. In practice, that meant staff building future learning through motivating experiences rather than isolated exercises. Builder play became mathematics; daily reading, singing, object naming and repeated words supported communication; and visits from local police and firefighters widened children's understanding of their community.

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum combined play with adult-guided experiences to develop communication, personal development, literacy and mathematics. Cultural-event activities also helped children learn about families and differences.

Literacy is the clear development point. Inspectors found books readily available and daily reading in place, but wanted early reading and writing developed further, including more meaningful reasons for children to make marks. They also asked staff to introduce a broader range of words consistently.

Kind, attentive staff helped children form strong bonds and settle securely in March 2025. A colourful kindness chart let children move their photographs from clouds to a rainbow, while a calming area helped them discuss and regulate feelings. Independence was practical too: children practised putting on shoes, brushing their teeth and recognising their own care needs.

Support for language and social development was targeted. Highly trained staff worked with parents and other professionals, used additional funding, and adapted teaching and the environment to address learning gaps. Singing, shared books and repeated vocabulary were used particularly with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective at the March 2025 inspection. Partnerships with parents were another strength, combining curriculum information with regular updates about children's learning.

The pre-school is based at St John The Divine Church, Dagenham, RM9 4XA. Its official record describes it as sessional day care. Families should seek the current attendance pattern and provider-specific quotation directly from the pre-school before making a decision.

• Literacy development. The latest inspection asked leaders to strengthen early reading, writing and vocabulary. Families may want to discuss what has changed since March 2025 and how mark-making now connects with children's interests.
• Sessional model. The official record identifies sessional day care. Confirm the current days, times and minimum attendance pattern to see whether it fits the family's weekly routine.
• Church setting. The pre-school operates at St John The Divine Church. A visit can establish how the rooms and outdoor arrangements work for a child's age and daily needs.

This is a Good pre-school whose clearest strengths are secure relationships, targeted language and social support, and learning built around children's interests. It is best suited to families seeking sessional care with an emphasis on independence and community experiences. The unresolved decision is practical rather than educational: families need the current session pattern, while the response to Ofsted's literacy recommendations deserves a direct conversation.