Leigh Road Baptist Church Pre-School

Water potions, toy frogs caught with nets and push bikes give Leigh Road Baptist Church Pre-School's April 2025 account a practical, playful character. Its capacity is 28 children, with a Leigh-On-Sea base on Marguerite Drive.

At its 29 April 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the pre-school Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised successful support for children with SEND. Children attending then were aged two to four. The strongest detail is the connection between play and growing independence: creative activities, physical challenges and everyday tasks each gave children something purposeful to practise.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning and care, with play supporting language, movement and social development. In April 2025, water play involved pouring and catching, while dough, painting and instruments offered different ways to create and express ideas. Push bikes added opportunities to coordinate movement.

Early writing developed through practical stages. In April 2025, children experimented with lines and shapes before using templates and forming letters. This gave school preparation a concrete basis in hand control and mark-making.

Teaching also had an important limitation. In April 2025, adults introduced vocabulary and explained ideas, but did not consistently stretch children's reasoning through investigation, prediction and solving problems. Extending that thinking was the improvement priority.

In April 2025, predictable routines helped children move between activities, and adults demonstrated sharing and consideration for others. Children joined in tidying and learnt to include their peers. The emphasis was on practising cooperation through ordinary moments.

Support for children needing additional help involved families and external professionals in April 2025. A special educational needs coordinator contributed to this work. Parents also valued adaptable settling arrangements and regular accounts of children's experiences, giving home and pre-school a useful connection.

At that time, leaders allocated responsibilities around staff interests and strengths, with regular feedback supporting their work. Healthy living was made tangible through exploring fruit and vegetables and trying balancing, climbing and bouncing; children also practised pouring drinks and preparing fruit at mealtimes.

The address is Marguerite Drive, Leigh-On-Sea, SS9 1NN. In April 2025, attendance was term-time only, with session times of 9am to 3.45pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and 9am to midday on Wednesday and Friday.

At that time, funded early education was offered to eligible children. Parents supplied packed lunches, with staff encouraging healthy choices.

• Developing deeper thinking. In April 2025, teaching did not consistently extend children's reasoning. Ask how staff now build prediction and investigation into play.
• The weekly timetable. April 2025 session times differed across the week and operated during term time. How would the current attendance pattern fit your family's working week?
• Settling arrangements. Parents valued flexibility during settling in April 2025. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how that would work for your child.

Leigh Road Baptist Church Pre-School merits consideration for families drawn to practical play and an emphasis on everyday independence. Its April 2025 offer suited term-time attendance across longer sessions on some days and mornings on others. The positive inspection judgement sits alongside a clear teaching priority: helping children take their thinking further.