Rosliston Under 5's Pre-School

Broad beans in the garden and dolls receiving first aid give Rosliston Under 5's Pre-School a practical, playful character in its May 2023 account. Based at the Village Hall in Swadlincote, it has capacity for 30 children. At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective.

Children attending in May 2023 were aged two to four. The attendance pattern then was term-time morning sessions, making this a preschool model built around a short day.

In May 2023, children spent substantial time outside, planting broad beans and discussing which might grow best. Bicycles occupied one end of the outdoor play space, with messy and creative activities at the other. That separation gave different kinds of play their own space.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its May 2023 examples included counting through play and conversation during pretend games. Children made play-dough caterpillars, added matchstick legs and counted them. A doctor's kit prompted conversations about vaccinations, while dolls became patients for practising first aid.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that planning responded to children's interests, but activities sometimes needed more challenge; communication support and strategies for helping older children manage their behaviour also needed fuller use. Following an interest was a strength, but familiar play did not consistently lead to something new.

In May 2023, parents received spoken updates about their child's day, and families shared fundraising ideas with staff and the committee. This made everyday conversation an important part of the relationship between home and preschool.

Staff encouraged children to speak when choosing snacks and sought help from speech and language therapists when additional support was needed. In May 2023, simple signs had also been introduced, though staff were not yet using them effectively. The issue was putting the communication tools into practice.

Yoga mats and feeling boards provided places to calm down in May 2023. Older children sometimes became noisy and boisterous, however, and staff missed opportunities to direct them towards those resources.

The address is Village Hall, Main Street, Swadlincote, DE12 8JW.

In May 2023, sessions ran from 9am to midday, Monday to Friday, during term time. Funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four at that time. These are dated attendance and funding arrangements.

• Short-session planning. The May 2023 model was term-time mornings. What attendance and funding arrangements would apply to your child now?
• Stretching familiar play. In May 2023, some activities stopped short of extending children's understanding. During a visit, look for how practitioners add a new question or challenge.
• Putting support into use. Communication signs and calming resources were not used consistently in May 2023. Ask how these tools now feature in daily interactions, especially if your child needs help expressing themselves or managing strong feelings.

Rosliston's May 2023 picture suits families seeking a term-time morning preschool experience, with garden play, practical learning and spoken parent updates. The Good judgement provides a positive assessment of that period. The deciding detail is how effectively staff now extend play and use the support tools already identified.