Hall Lane Pre-School

A toy chainsaw, a nature collage and animated storytelling give Hall Lane Pre-School its character in the November 2022 account of daily life. Children's interests shaped activities, with a real tree surgeon's work inspiring pretend play. These are concrete examples of learning built around something children wanted to explore.

At its 30 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, with a well-planned curriculum and positive relationships between children and staff. Hall Lane Pre-School has capacity for 26 children and is based at Hall Lane Methodist Church in Whitwick, Coalville.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the November 2022 examples show learning through conversation, stories, creative work and play.

In November 2022, local nature walks gave children opportunities to collect leaves and other natural objects, then use their finds in collages. The pre-school garden also provided space for energetic outdoor activity. This connected exploration outside with creative work indoors.

Books were part of the day in November 2022, with children encouraged to retell The Three Little Pigs while staff used different voices for the characters. Creative activities also introduced descriptive vocabulary, helping children find words for the materials they handled.

There was a clear limit to the mathematics teaching in November 2022: staff sometimes missed chances to extend children's interest in written numbers. The improvement needed was to take those spontaneous discoveries further.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff able to recognise welfare concerns and follow the appropriate procedures. Regular training and recruitment checks supported those arrangements.

In November 2022, staff gathered information about children before they started and used it to plan experiences. A photo book helped children learning English understand daily routines, while adults demonstrated how to request a turn when disagreements arose. These were practical ways to make participation easier.

Family craft sessions in November 2022 let parents join activities with their children. Staff also offered snacks such as raisins and breadsticks, but conversations about healthy food needed more consistent attention.

The address is Hall Lane Methodist Church, Hall Lane, Whitwick, Coalville, LE67 5PF.

In November 2022, the pre-school cared for children aged two to four and opened during term time: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.30am to 1pm, and Thursday from 8.30am to midday. It also provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds at that time.

• Attendance planning. The November 2022 opening pattern was term-time provision ending by early afternoon. What current attendance and funding arrangements would fit your family's week?
• Learning conversations. In November 2022, extending mathematical understanding and discussing healthy food were the two improvement priorities. These matter because everyday play and snack times can develop children's understanding as well as occupy their attention.

Hall Lane's November 2022 picture suits families drawn to interest-led play, shared stories and local outdoor exploration. Its term-time opening pattern at that date would have suited families seeking shorter days. The Good judgement gives that dated picture weight, while the mathematics and healthy-food priorities keep the assessment balanced.