Childville Preschool, Catterall Hall

A visual timetable, purposeful talk and children learning to pour their own drinks give Childville Preschool@Catterall Hall a clear preschool character in November 2024. The inspection judged overall effectiveness Good, with Good judgements for education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that time.

Children aged two to four attended at the time. The group put coats and bags away, chose from activities and moved calmly to the next part of the session. In November 2024, the preschool followed a term-time pattern.

Learning and Everyday Experience

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, is the framework for children’s learning, development and care from birth to five. In a preschool day, that means children learn through play, conversation, routines and planned experiences, not a school-style lesson timetable.

In November 2024, staff planned from children’s interests and next steps, then used songs, stories and new vocabulary to extend the day. The what is in the bag game was used for communication and language: children were encouraged to talk about what they understood, while staff checked that understanding through questions. A visual timetable gave transitions a clear structure, helping children prepare for the next activity rather than simply being moved on.

Mathematics had practical shape. Younger children built block towers while hearing words such as tall and short; older preschool children explored number, quantity and matching objects to numerals. Staff then took the learning further by discussing what happens when numbers are added. That is a useful progression from handling materials to explaining an idea.

Development Points

Two development points gave the November 2024 picture useful precision. Practitioners needed to leave children more time to think and respond after a question. Some ambitious group activities also ran beyond the attention span of younger children, leaving them disengaged and interrupting older children’s learning. These points concern the pace of adult-led moments, not the setting’s overall warmth or intent.

In November 2024, settling was swift, with kind practitioners, clear expectations for independence and children confident enough to join activities. Staff knew their key children, reviewed progress frequently and used that information to identify gaps in skills and knowledge. Parents were kept informed about what children did during the day and how they were progressing.

Targeted support was in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, alongside purposeful work with external agencies. Funding for disadvantaged children was reviewed for its impact at that time. For everyday confidence, routines included younger children pouring their own drinks and staff giving them time to try for themselves.

Stories linked to different feelings helped children recognise and manage emotions, while frequent praise supported confidence and self-esteem. Safeguarding was judged effective in November 2024, with an open, positive culture that put children’s interests first.

Childville Preschool@Catterall Hall operates from 1st Chadwell Heath Scouts at Catterall Hall, Cecil Road, Romford, RM6 6LB, in Barking and Dagenham. In November 2024, it followed a term-time attendance pattern. Its daily session windows belonged to that dated picture, so the present timetable needs checking before regular care is planned around it.

For nursery-specific prices, request the provider’s written quotation. The inspection-era age range and attendance pattern are useful context, but they should not be treated as a current offer.

Attendance pattern. In November 2024, the preschool operated in term time. The current timetable is the practical point to settle before regular care is planned around it.

Thinking time. Children needed longer to process and answer some questions. The useful discussion point is how adults balance lively conversation with time for a child to form an answer.

Younger children in groups. Some group activities were too long for younger children. Families need a clear account of how groups are paced and adapted when attention begins to drift.

Targeted support. SEND support and external-agency partnership work formed part of the November 2024 picture. For a child needing extra help, individual plans and communication with families are the key practical details.

The November 2024 picture is detailed and grounded: engaged play, purposeful vocabulary work, a visual timetable and routines that build independence. The Good judgement and effective safeguarding finding sit alongside two worthwhile questions about thinking time and keeping younger children involved in group work.

It suits families seeking a preschool setting for children who were aged two to four in November 2024 and whose routine can work with a term-time attendance pattern. Its strongest documented features are the blend of language-rich play, practical early mathematics and support for children’s emotional regulation and growing self-care.