1st Step Pre-school, Seaton Delaval

Pretend tea, compost-filled digger trucks and conversations about autumn give this Seaton Delaval pre-school its character: everyday play supplies the starting points for learning. At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective, with strengths in communication and a curriculum built around children's existing knowledge.

Based at the Community Centre on Elsdon Avenue, 1st Step Pre-school, Seaton Delaval accepts children aged 6 to 60 months and has 36 places in total. Those are whole-setting places, rather than a room size or a count of children attending together.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, across the year. For parents, the educational questions are more specific than the overall grade: how adults extend older children's thinking, how outdoor play becomes purposeful learning, and how readily children can reach materials for early writing.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means play supports skills such as talking, counting, physical movement and learning to interact with other children.

In October 2024, imaginative play included making pretend tea and inviting adults to take part. Children counted as they played, attempted simple addition and used mathematical vocabulary. These examples connect early number work to something children have chosen to do, rather than treating it as a separate exercise.

Language ran through different stages of development. During that October visit, babies exchanged babbles with adults, toddlers named colours while building, and older children talked about their journeys to nursery. Songs and books also featured throughout the day. Children selected familiar stories and began remembering repeated phrases, giving them opportunities to join in rather than simply listen.

Outdoor play had concrete points of interest in October 2024: leaves, compost, a passing flock of geese and a spider. Children explored seasonal changes, rode wheeled toys, built with blocks and played chasing games. Movement and curiosity were both present. However, outdoor activities needed more deliberate planning for children who preferred learning outside; enjoyment alone was not enough to make the fullest use of that space.

Older children's thinking also needed more challenge. Adults did not consistently help them work out solutions or develop ideas of their own. Access to writing materials was another weakness, limiting opportunities to practise making marks. These are practical issues about the day children experience, rather than abstract curriculum labels.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found warm adult-child relationships, effective support for communication and good partnerships with parents, alongside staff understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and procedures for raising concerns. The value for families lies in those everyday interactions as well as the formal judgement.

In October 2024, children settled into familiar routines and showed kindness towards one another. Adults acknowledged sharing and friendly behaviour, while children learned the setting's boundaries. This gave social learning a concrete form: taking part in play meant considering other children too.

Information from parents, together with staff observations, helped establish what children could already do in October 2024. That starting point informed subsequent learning. Communication with families covered children's experiences during the day and their developing skills, linking home knowledge with nursery observations.

Health habits were part of the routine at that visit. Children washed their hands before lunch, and staff had shared guidance about healthy lunch boxes with families. The emphasis was on practical habits children could understand and repeat.

The address is Community Centre, Elsdon Avenue, Seaton Delaval, Whitley Bay, NE25 0BW. The setting opens throughout the year, with weekday hours of 7.30am to 5pm. These are opening hours, rather than named morning, afternoon or full-day booking packages.

An enquiry form on the Seaton Delaval branch page accepts contact details and a message, with a setting selector. That provides a direct route for contacting this branch.

In October 2024, the pre-school provided funded education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated description of its funding provision, rather than a promise of an individual child's eligibility or attendance arrangement.

• Older children's challenge. In October 2024, adults needed to do more to encourage independent ideas and problem-solving. During a visit, ask for an example of how staff extend an older child's chosen activity.
• Outdoor learning and early writing. The October 2024 improvement points included more purposeful outdoor activities and reliable access to mark-making materials. Look at how both are incorporated into the day, especially if your child prefers being outside.
• Attendance and total costs. The weekday opening window runs from 7.30am to 5pm. Which booking arrangements and funded-hours options fit your family, and what are the arrangements for meals and consumables?

This pre-school suits families seeking year-round weekday care in Seaton Delaval who value play built around conversation, stories and everyday exploration. The October 2024 judgement gives a positive overall position, with concrete examples of social interaction and early learning. The deciding detail is how the day now addresses the three improvement points: deeper thinking, purposeful outdoor learning and accessible early-writing materials.