St Georges Pre-School

In March and May 2023, piano-led movement, careful threading and a digging area gave St Georges Pre-School a concrete identity: play brought together language, counting and physical activity. Its home is St.Georges Church Hall in High Heaton, and it has capacity for 35 children.

Ofsted judged the provision Good following visits in March and May 2023. Children attending then were aged two to four; the strongest examples involved children choosing activities, persevering with tasks and learning to take turns.

In March and May 2023, children posted their names into a post box to mark attendance and chose where to play. Threading bobbins brought concentration, colour recognition and counting into the same task. Painting and matching games gave children practice in sharing materials and waiting for a turn.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the inspection-era examples show how play can combine those elements. Older children matched objects to letter sounds, while staff used observations of individual development to decide what to teach next.

Music had a practical role during the March and May 2023 visits: children copied movements accompanied by staff playing the piano. Outdoors, steps leading to a slide, hula hoops and spades in the digging area offered different ways to practise movement and coordination. Fresh-air activity formed part of the daily routine then.

There were two clear teaching weaknesses. In March and May 2023, some children lost engagement during shared stories and singing, reducing their opportunities to learn. Shape work covered flat shapes but did not extend to solid shapes, leaving comparisons between the two unexplored.

At the March and May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including visual prompts and coordination with external services. Visual timetables and boards showing the next activity helped children understand changes in the day.

Settling arrangements in March and May 2023 adapted to individual children. Parents could spend time in the setting with their child and exchange information with the key person, making familiarisation part of the process. Staff also discussed children daily and shared developmental information with their next nursery or school to support transitions.

The address is St.Georges Church Hall, Boundary Gardens, High Heaton, NE7 7AA.

In March and May 2023, the pre-school operated on weekdays during school terms, with sessions running from 9am to 3pm. It also provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four at that time. These arrangements describe the inspection period.

• Shared activities. Engagement during stories and singing was an improvement priority in March and May 2023. Ask how these activities now accommodate children with different attention spans.
• Shape learning. Teaching in March and May 2023 needed to include solid shapes alongside flat ones. Exploring both matters for children's understanding of similarities and differences.
• Attendance arrangements. The March and May 2023 model combined term-time attendance with 9am to 3pm sessions. Ask which current attendance and funding arrangements would fit your family's week.

The March and May 2023 picture of St Georges Pre-School would suit parents who value child-chosen play alongside guided language, music and movement activities. It included flexible settling and practical support for transitions. Individual activities engaged children, while shared-group teaching and shape learning were improvement priorities identified then.