Woodfield Park Pre-School

Books that help answer a child's question about a spider, and cooking ingredients sent home with activities: Woodfield Park Pre-School's December 2022 provision connected learning with everyday family life. Based at the Charteris Centre in Peterborough, it has 20 places in total.

At its 2 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found that children made good progress and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged two to four. That dated picture gives families concrete examples of the care and learning here.

In December 2022, children learnt across the early years foundation stage, the framework for their learning, development and care: counting, conversation and independence were woven into everyday activities. During a gathering on the mat, counting the children introduced mathematical language through something immediately relevant to them.

Books supported practical exploration. After discovering a spider while looking for bugs, children used a book to investigate its legs. Resources were within children's reach, allowing them to choose materials themselves. These examples connect curiosity with finding answers, rather than waiting for an adult to supply them.

Outdoor opportunities in December 2022 included regular visits into the neighbourhood, to shops and to a park. Block play also prompted conversations about religious buildings and the people who used them, bringing differences between people into children's own discussions.

In December 2022, home-learning packs contained books, activities and cooking ingredients, giving parents practical materials to use with their children. Regular stay-and-play sessions created time for families and staff to get to know each other. Together, these arrangements linked experiences at preschool with learning at home.

Everyday independence also featured then: children spread butter on toast, prepared for outdoor play and cleared up after eating. They helped younger children and practised listening while others spoke. Community safety included learning about roads and visits from the police.

Parents supplied packed lunches in December 2022, while the setting supplied healthy snacks. However, staff did not consistently explain how food choices and exercise affected children's health, making this a specific area for development.

The address is Charteris Centre, Normanton Road, Peterborough, PE1 4XE.

In December 2022, attendance ran during term time, Monday to Friday, with sessions from 8.30am to 3pm. Funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four at that time. Those arrangements describe a daytime preschool pattern rather than an extended opening window.

• Attendance planning. The December 2022 pattern was term-time weekday sessions ending at 3pm. At a visit, what attendance arrangements and funded options would fit your child's routine now?
• Learning about health. In December 2022, explaining the benefits of healthy food and exercise needed further development. For families, the important distinction is between supplying healthy snacks and helping children understand their choices.

Woodfield Park Pre-School's December 2022 picture suits families drawn to practical independence, books used to answer questions and activities that continue at home. Its term-time daytime pattern then would have suited parents seeking preschool sessions around a school calendar. The health-learning improvement point gives that positive account a clear qualification: everyday care also needs explanations children can understand.