Church Gresley Playgroup T/A Church Gresley Pre-School

A redeveloped garden and Rainbow Rules give Church Gresley Pre-School a clear emphasis: room for active play, alongside simple lessons in kindness, responsibility and getting along. Based at Scouts Hut on Park Road in Church Gresley, it has 45 places in total.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged one to four; that age range describes the inspection period. The strongest examples from that visit were practical ones: sharing picture games, exploring books and constructing an outdoor obstacle course.

Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions give families different ways to organise attendance. The important balance is between that useful choice and the improvements identified in January 2023: smoother lunchtime transitions and more precise staff development.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday parent language, that means learning through play and interaction, with attention to communication, physical development and growing independence rather than simply completing tasks.

Play and exploration also shape the pre-school's current approach. Its garden has been redeveloped to support movement, imaginative activity and supported challenges. This gives outdoor learning a physical home, rather than leaving it as an abstract curriculum aim. Rainbow Rules explain the social side of the day: learning to act kindly, take responsibility and build positive relationships.

In January 2023, children could choose activities arranged around their interests and move between them. Dressing-up play included pretending to be superheroes. Older children used picture dominoes to practise matching and taking turns, bringing early thinking skills and cooperation into the same game.

Books supplied another route into learning that January. A rainbow story prompted children to identify colours, while an animal book opened discussion about different habitats. These were conversations around a book, rather than reading as a purely listening activity. Counting also appeared in practical play, including measuring children's feet with a tape measure.

Outdoor and Community Life

In January 2023, older children assembled an obstacle course together, then practised jumping, hopping and balancing with staff support. Building the course mattered as well as using it: the activity combined movement with a shared project.

A quieter space at one end of the pre-school gave younger children a different pace during that visit. They explored drawing movements on a water mat and looked at picture books with adults. This was an area within the setting, rather than a separately named room. It offered an alternative to the more active parts of the day.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry, the app used for sharing children's observations, photographs and reports, gives parents a way to follow learning beyond collection-time conversation. Its practical value is continuity: families can see examples of what their child has been doing and use those as a starting point for discussion.

Rainbow Rules also connect behaviour with relationships. Kindness and respect are taught alongside responsibility, so the emphasis is on how children treat one another. In January 2023, staff reinforced sharing and reminded children to handle others gently. Books about different cultures and opportunities to taste foods from different countries added concrete experiences to conversations about difference.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised children needing additional help, worked effectively with parents to obtain support and used small-group speaking activities. That is a dated finding about support in practice, rather than a blanket promise about every child's experience today.

The current approach includes collaboration with families and other professionals. Two designated safeguarding lead roles are in place. These are organisational arrangements; the safeguarding effectiveness judgement belongs to the dated inspection above.

Moving towards school also had a practical shape in January 2023. Staff encouraged independence, and teachers visited during the summer term to meet children before their move. Familiarity with a future teacher can make the change less abrupt. This describes transition work, rather than an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Scouts Hut, Park Road, Church Gresley, Swadlincote, DE11 9QE. Sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings from 8.30am to 11.30am, afternoons from midday to 3pm, and all-day attendance from 8.30am to 3pm. These are three actual attendance choices, with the shorter sessions useful for families seeking a part-day routine.

In January 2023, the pre-school operated during term time. Its current diary includes training days on 18 December 2026, 4 May 2027 and 14 June 2027.

Applications can be made by email enquiry or by emailing a completed application form. Contact is also possible through the online form or by telephone on 01283 212739.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted. Current prices should come in the pre-school's written quotation, so families can assess the complete arrangement alongside their attendance choice.

Uniform is optional. Donated items are sometimes held by the pre-school, offering a practical alternative for families who choose to use it. Everyday clothes remain a valid choice for play and messy activities.

• The return to play after lunch. In January 2023, clearing tables took staff attention while activity spaces still needed resetting, making it harder for children to resume play. On a visit, ask how the lunchtime handover now works, especially for an all-day booking.
• Staff coaching. The January 2023 improvement priorities included more targeted professional development; regular coaching and supervision needed attention. Ask how staff now receive feedback on their teaching and support with improving it.
• The complete funded arrangement. Funding is accepted and three session patterns are offered. Ask for one written explanation covering the entitlement offered, its attendance arrangement, meals, consumables and any additional charges.
• Calendar fit. Training days include 18 December 2026, 4 May 2027 and 14 June 2027. Ask whether these affect booked morning, afternoon or all-day attendance.

Church Gresley Pre-School suits families choosing between morning, afternoon and all-day attendance, with play, outdoor activity and learning to get along as central themes. The redeveloped garden gives that approach a concrete setting, while Tapestry connects families with examples of their child's day.

The January 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, but the lunchtime and staff-development priorities deserve direct attention when choosing. For parents, the useful decision is whether the session pattern and everyday organisation work together for their child.