Tiddlywinks Pre-School, Leyland

At its September 2025 inspection, Tiddlywinks Pre-School, Leyland combined parachute songs, dinosaur vocabulary and shopping for cooking ingredients, turning everyday experiences into opportunities to listen, talk and learn. At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and judged safeguarding effective.

The pre-school has 42 places in total. In September 2025, children attending were aged two to four, and the setting occupied grounds belonging to Leyland Methodist Infant School, with older children using a room inside the school.

In September 2025, communication and language received close attention. Staff allowed children time to process questions and shape their answers, while dinosaur books introduced vocabulary such as excavator. This gave conversation a purpose beyond simply naming familiar objects. The detail matters: children had time to work out what an adult meant before replying, while books supplied new words to try. Listening and speaking were woven into an activity children could share, rather than treated solely as isolated exercises.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the September 2025 activities included painting and cutting to practise hand control, and parachute singing that combined movement with listening for signals. Children selected toy animals to determine songs, giving them a part in shaping the activity.

During that inspection, the singing also required children to pause together and watch for the adult's cue before restarting. Joining in meant paying attention as well as remembering a song. Painting and cutting offered a different kind of practice, involving the small movements needed to control tools. The curriculum organised learning in a planned sequence, although staff's understanding of individual learning goals was uneven.

Outdoor play had a practical physical emphasis that month: a bubble machine prompted children to operate handles, blow bubbles and chase them around the outdoor area. Beyond the setting, outings included sharing stories and songs with older residents, buying ingredients at a supermarket, exploring a vehicle museum and listening to sounds on local walks. These experiences connected learning with people and places beyond the playroom. Each outing had a different educational purpose in September 2025: shopping brought mathematics into buying ingredients, the museum introduced the past, and walks encouraged children to notice sounds around them. Sharing books and singing with older people added contact across generations. For parents who value learning through everyday situations, these were concrete examples of how the curriculum extended beyond indoor activities.

In September 2025, key persons collected detailed information about children's communication, including their speaking and listening. Familiar routines also helped children manage the day: they used name or photograph cards to mark their presence and identified their own drinks in the same way. Children also put finished paintings on a drying rack themselves. These small responsibilities gave them opportunities to recognise their belongings and take care of their work. The September 2025 picture was mixed, however: opportunities to act independently sat alongside moments when adults took over manageable tasks.

Parents' accounts that month described collaboration over settling and language development, alongside information that helped them extend learning at home. The relationship had a practical purpose: adults could connect what children were doing at the pre-school with support at home.

Staff support also featured in September 2025. Practitioners described regular conversations with leaders about their wellbeing and professional development, and a team development day involved exchanging practice and refreshing skills with colleagues. This provided time for staff to discuss their work together, a relevant feature alongside the need for clearer sharing of children's individual learning goals.

The address is Leyland Methodist Infant School, Canberra Road, Leyland, PR25 3ET. In September 2025, opening hours were 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, and the pre-school provided government-funded places for children aged two, three and four.

Sharing a school site does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Individual learning goals. In September 2025, staff did not consistently share a precise understanding of each child's next learning steps. This affected the consistency of support, making communication between practitioners a relevant consideration.
• Doing things independently. In September 2025, adults sometimes handled tasks children could attempt themselves, including setting out lunch items and starting coat fastenings. More opportunities to practise these everyday skills were needed.
• Planning attendance. The September 2025 opening window ended at 3pm. At a visit, ask which current attendance arrangement would fit your family's working day.

Tiddlywinks suits families who value conversation, group music and learning through ordinary community experiences. Its September 2025 day offered concrete opportunities to practise listening and explore beyond the setting, balanced by clear improvement priorities around shared learning goals and children's independence.