Amington & District Pre-School

A vote over the mealtime tray monitor gives a useful glimpse of Amington & District Pre-School: in June 2023, children recognised when they had already taken a turn and let another child take responsibility. Everyday routines became opportunities to practise fairness.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the pre-school Good and found safeguarding effective. Based at Amington Band Room in Tamworth, the setting has 32 places in total; those attending in June 2023 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday skills into their education. In June 2023, staff extended children's vocabulary by introducing opposites and used questions that encouraged children to explain their thinking. Shape discussions connected an oval with an egg, making mathematics concrete.

Children's own ideas also shaped play in June 2023. Staff helped a child planning a house choose resources, while children joining group activities had time to finish what they were doing. This gave adult-led learning a place alongside children's independent choices.

Practical safety featured too: in June 2023, children considered what could happen when striking ice with a hammer. Handwashing conversations covered germs and saving water, linking personal care with responsibility for resources.

In June 2023, key-person groups used colours to make routines easier to understand, including where children sat for meals; greeting songs in children's home languages brought familiar language into the day. Staff also explained how they would help when a child felt unwell, giving children a clearer understanding of their care.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that the manager's special educational needs coordinator role supported work with families and external professionals, including teachers, on children's transition to school. In June 2023, parent relationships helped key persons respond to individual needs and supported learning at home; resources for oral-motor coordination were also purchased to support speech.

The address is Amington Band Room, Sharpe Street, Tamworth, B77 3HY.

In June 2023, opening hours were 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four at that time. These are dated arrangements rather than a current attendance offer.

• Starting points for younger children. In June 2023, staff did not consistently take younger children's existing experiences and abilities into account when planning ambitious learning. How activities are adapted for a child starting preschool deserves attention.
• Attendance planning. The June 2023 opening pattern was term-time weekdays. What attendance arrangements and funded-hours terms apply now?

Amington's June 2023 picture suits families who value everyday independence, language-rich play and a key-person relationship. Voting at meals, colour-coded routines and home-language songs give those priorities concrete form. The balancing point is the need to tailor learning more carefully to younger children's starting points. The Good judgement provides a dated assessment, rather than a promise about today's experience.