Little Gems Pre School

Cardboard ramps, homemade tunnels and stories acted out with a chair: Little Gems Pre School's May 2022 nursery day put everyday materials to imaginative use. Children tested ideas, negotiated turns and kept working when their creations proved difficult to assemble. These concrete examples give a clearer picture of its character than a list of activities would.

At its 27 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Little Gems Good overall. The setting has capacity for 37 children and uses Swindon Chinese Christian Church on St. Philips Road. Its postcode is SN2 7QH, in Swindon. Children attending in May 2022 were aged 1 to 4; that age range describes the inspection visit.

In May 2022, younger and older children used separate areas for play, with resources chosen around their interests. Younger children moved familiar toy characters between a slide, car and house, inventing domestic routines as they played. Older children experimented with vehicles and cardboard, turning a ramp into a tunnel and comparing how cars travelled. Sharing materials gave them reasons to cooperate.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and development: children build language, physical skills and understanding through play and supported activities. The practical examples from May 2022 show how those areas can overlap. Shaping dough exercised younger children's hands, while counting the small pieces they added brought mathematics into the same activity.

Storytelling also became physical play. Older children used cardboard and a chair to recreate a bridge, taking different roles and retelling the story together. Books supplied the ideas; their own construction supplied the setting.

Experimentation extended to sand and model-making. Children discovered that adding water helped sand hold its shape. Elsewhere, attaching cardboard tubes to a box required repeated attempts with tape, followed by cutting and assembling another part of the model. These were opportunities to practise persistence, tool use and problem-solving within a project children wanted to complete.

Each child has a key person responsible for following their development. Assessment informs individual next steps, and individual play plans can be introduced where needed. This gives families a specific person and a practical planning process through which to discuss their child's learning.

A SENCo role, regular training and work with other agencies form part of the support arrangements. Parents are involved in assessment, planning and review. Transition support includes liaison with the next setting's SENCo and a book containing photographs of the new classroom and teachers, giving children something familiar to discuss at home before the change.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, making good progress. Staff recognised when additional help was needed and involved parents and professionals in arranging support.

In May 2022, home languages and family celebrations contributed to activity planning, including songs and rhymes in different languages. Staff also sought information about children's home lives. This connected nursery learning with experiences children already understood.

Self-care was part of that month's daily activity: children poured drinks and cut food, with reminders about using a knife carefully. Conversations about food and energy accompanied these practical tasks.

Little Gems uses Swindon Chinese Christian Church on St. Philips Road. The address is in Swindon, postcode SN2 7QH. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07909 961218.

In May 2022, opening hours were 8.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Those are dated opening hours rather than a description of today's booking patterns. At the same visit, the preschool received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Families comparing attendance arrangements should distinguish that historical timetable and funding participation from the pattern they intend to book.

• Adult interaction during play. In May 2022, staff sometimes concentrated on a small group and missed opportunities to develop other children's ideas. More consistent interaction was an improvement priority. During a visit, ask how practitioners support children working independently as well as those alongside them.
• Care of shared materials. The May 2022 improvement priorities also included clearer guidance about looking after resources and play areas. Some children resisted stopping play before snack. This matters for families helping a child become comfortable with shared routines and changes of activity.
• Attendance planning. The May 2022 timetable was term-time only and ended at 2.30pm. What current attendance pattern, opening hours and funded-hours arrangement would fit your family? Establish that together before making a booking decision.

Little Gems suits families considering preschool provision who value learning through practical play and a defined route for discussing individual support. The May 2022 examples are persuasive in their detail: children built, tested, counted and retold stories.

The balance matters. In May 2022, improvement priorities concerned adult interaction and children's care of shared resources. Key-person planning, individual play plans and photographic transition books give parents concrete support arrangements to consider when judging the fit for their child.