Southfields Pre-School

Woodland walks, rope nets and experiments with fir cones give Southfields Pre-School a practical, outdoors-led character in its November 2024 daily life. Children explored movement and natural materials, with conversation woven into their play. The setting has capacity for 27 children at Old Hall Farm in Car Colston.

At its 25 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Southfields Good overall and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. Children attending then were aged one to three; that is the inspection-time age range.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning through play together with everyday skills. In November 2024, songs and familiar stories encouraged children to speak and remember phrases. Story language also travelled outdoors, connecting books with children's experiences.

Physical play had substance. During that month, children balanced over tyres, climbed rope nets and practised taking turns with staff support. Tapping golf tees into potatoes with hammers exercised their hands, while wet fir cones provided a concrete way to explore changes in natural objects. Woodland walks included reminders about holding hands near roads.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with visiting professionals on targets for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, while incomplete sharing of key-person knowledge sometimes restricted support for learning during child-led play.

During November 2024, families received activity photographs, reports each term and conversations about learning. Displays of children's pet photographs helped staff connect discussions with home life. Emotional understanding was equally practical: staff explained how taking a friend's toy could upset them and used stories to discuss feelings.

Meals that month included nutritious food, snacks and drinks, with adults sitting beside children to make eating sociable. Children practised washing their hands and pouring drinks, with younger children receiving physical help.

Southfields Pre-School is at Old Hall Farm, Screveton Road, Car Colston, Nottingham, NG13 8JG.

In November 2024, it operated Monday to Friday across 50 weeks, with a daily window of 7.45am to 5.30pm. At that time, funded early education extended to children aged from nine months. These arrangements describe that period.

• Continuity between adults. In November 2024, knowledge about children's next learning steps did not consistently reach colleagues. This matters when another practitioner supports a child's chosen activity.
• Changes between activities. Getting dressed for outdoor play was disorganised in November 2024, and tidying did not involve every child. Those moments needed better organisation to keep children engaged.
• Attendance fit. The November 2024 day extended from 7.45am to 5.30pm. On a visit, ask which current booking patterns would fit your family's week.

Southfields suits families drawn to practical exploration, physical play and language developed through songs and stories. Its November 2024 strengths were tangible, from woodland walks to conversations about home. The same dated account identifies two useful tests of everyday care: how well adults share knowledge about each child, and how calmly the day moves between activities.