Little Angels Pre-School Swadlincote

An integrated setting at the Old Post Centre gives Little Angels Pre-School Swadlincote its character: younger and older children share the environment, with activities adapted to their different stages. The preschool welcomes children from nine months to four years and has capacity for 20 children. This is a mixed-age arrangement, rather than a progression through separate, named rooms.

At its 15 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective. The detail gives parents more to work with than the grade alone: movement, language and growing independence were prominent, while group participation and children's freedom to shape adult-led activities needed attention.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions offer different ways to use the preschool. Before-school care, after-school care and a Holiday Club extend its role for families with older children.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning through play together with support for communication, physical skills and relationships. Here, the shared environment lets children access resources together, with activities adjusted for age and stage. Families choosing this model should weigh the benefits of shared experiences against their preference for an age-separated room.

Morning sessions combine free play, educational activities and learning together. Afternoons have a different rhythm: younger children tend to sleep for an hour, while older children take part in more concentrated activities, play outside and sometimes walk in the surrounding community. Shared physical activity, stories and singing bring the children together again. The difference between these sessions matters when matching attendance to a child's energy and sleep routine.

In October 2024, movement activities included dancing, stretching and action songs, with props helping children join in. Language learning was equally tangible: pumpkin exploration introduced words about texture and temperature, and stories used sounds and objects to hold children's attention. These were practical experiences that gave children something to move, handle and talk about.

Choice also featured in play at that time. A feather duster became a pretend broomstick in the role-play area, showing how a familiar object could support an idea drawn from a story. Adult-led activities were less consistently open-ended: some practitioners controlled the direction too closely, limiting children's own inventions. During group work, some children watched rather than took part because the resources had not been organised to involve everyone.

Outdoor and Community Life

In October 2024, the outdoor garden supported balancing, climbing and sliding. Indoors, dough work and a chalkboard gave children opportunities to strengthen the smaller movements needed for handling tools and making marks. Physical development therefore included both whole-body activity and hand control.

The Holiday Club adds a separate offer during school holidays, with park outings, science experiments, games and craft. It accepts children from nine months to nine years, so its age span extends beyond the preschool day. Families considering holiday attendance should distinguish that broader offer from the preschool's usual age range.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children had close relationships with their key person and that practitioners identified slower progress, made support plans and worked effectively with parents and outside agencies. These findings connect everyday relationships with a practical response when a child needs additional help.

In October 2024, children's next learning steps were displayed at their coat pegs, giving parents a daily point of reference. Practitioners used specific encouragement to recognise effort, and children practised small acts of independence, such as opening their own yoghurt. The emphasis was on helping children try for themselves.

The current team structure includes a lead SEND coordinator and designated safeguarding lead roles; staff have first-aid training. Those are concrete arrangements, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement. For families needing additional support, the coordinator role provides a clear starting point for discussing their child's needs.

Sleep is part of the afternoon pattern for younger children. Older children continue with activities and outdoor play during that period, making the mixed-age timetable relevant to both rest and learning.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at Old Post Centre, High Street, Newhall, Swadlincote, DE11 0HX. Enquiries can be made directly to the setting about its preschool and club services.

Morning sessions run from 8am to 11am; afternoons run from 11am to 2pm. A full day runs from 8am to 3.30pm, with the period from 2pm to 3.30pm charged additionally. Morning snacks carry a separate charge, and the full-day snack charge covers both morning and afternoon snacks. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

Before School Club runs Monday to Friday. After School Club collects children from Newhall Infants and Juniors, with collection by families possible from 3.30pm and a final collection time of 5pm. Reading, spelling and homework support can form part of the after-school offer.

Holiday Club operates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during half terms, Easter and the summer holiday period. Its hours can vary. Children bring a packed lunch, or families can purchase a hot dinner from the café within the building.

The nursery describes its before-school service as working alongside Newhall Infants and Juniors. This care arrangement does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

In October 2024, the preschool provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Funded attendance and additional paid hours should be treated separately when planning a booking.

Before-school breakfast can be supplied for an optional charge or brought from home. After-school snacks can likewise be brought by children or supplied for an additional charge when arranged in advance. These choices sit alongside the separate preschool snack charges and the Holiday Club lunch arrangements.

• Mixed ages and afternoon sleep. Children share an integrated environment, and younger children tend to nap during the afternoon session. Ask how rest and older children's activities are arranged alongside each other.
• Participation and imagination. In October 2024, some group activities left children watching, and adult direction sometimes restricted their ideas. Ask how activities now give each child materials to use and room to make choices.
• Before-school timing. Before-school care has two stated starting times, 7.30am and 8am. Confirm which applies to the service you intend to book.
• Funding and everyday supplies. Preschool snacks are charged separately, and the full day's final period has an additional charge. Ask for a written breakdown covering funded attendance and additional hours.

Little Angels suits families who prefer an integrated preschool and want to choose between morning, afternoon and full-day attendance. Its school-linked clubs and holiday provision may also help households arranging care for children at different stages.

The October 2024 picture combines engaging movement and language experiences with useful parent communication. The qualification is specific: group activities needed fuller participation, and adult-led play needed more space for children's ideas. Those are the points to explore alongside the practical fit of the shared environment and session pattern.