St George's Preschool

Play sets the direction at St George's Preschool: children's interests shape activities, and a key person turns observations into individual plans. This non-profit preschool operates from St. George's Church Hall in Glascote, with a voluntary committee bringing together church members and parents. Its character is that of a community preschool, with families involved in how it is run.

At the 28 June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) received effective support. The practical offer is term-time care for children aged 24 to 60 months, with morning, afternoon and all-day attendance options.

Learning and Activities

Learning through Play means activities are matched to children's interests and capabilities rather than play being treated as a break from learning. The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play and adult interaction give children opportunities to practise language, physical skills and early mathematical ideas.

In June 2024, staff used stories, songs and rhymes to develop language, repeating unfamiliar words and inviting children to discuss what they heard. Maths also came into ordinary activities: children counted toy animals, talked about shapes in story illustrations and compared quantities during play. These examples make the educational purpose concrete. Conversation and counting were woven into experiences children had already chosen.

Pretend hairdressing was another June 2024 example. Children drew adults into their game as customers, while staff added ideas that could stretch their thinking. The balance matters: children could direct the play, with adults contributing rather than simply standing back. Staff also observed what children could do and planned activities around their interests, although the precision of individual learning steps needed attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2024, outdoor play included a climbing frame with a rope ladder, a bouncer and a sand pit. Children practised turning before climbing down and persisted with unfamiliar physical challenges. This was outdoor time with opportunities to test movement and judgement, rather than just a change of surroundings.

Children could choose their activities during free play, and outdoor access gave them room to be physically active. For a family weighing the preschool's day, those details sit alongside the language work: movement, conversation and imaginative play all had a place in the inspection-time experience.

A key person is assigned to each child. That practitioner develops a close relationship and uses observations to plan activities for the child's development, giving families a clear point of continuity between personal care and learning.

In June 2024, children formed close relationships with staff and settled into activities arranged around their needs and interests. Parent communication included online journals containing photographs and observations, allowing families to see examples of learning and continue related activities at home. That offers more substance than a brief account of whether the day went well.

The current staff structure includes a manager/SENco role. Every staff member holds current paediatric first-aid and safeguarding training, has an enhanced DBS check and holds a food-safety certificate. These are practical arrangements for care; the dated safeguarding judgement remains the quality assessment.

In June 2024, the special educational needs coordinator met other professionals to exchange information and organise targeted help, while staff worked with parents to keep approaches consistent. For children receiving additional support, the useful detail is this connection between home, preschool and external professionals.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. George's Church Hall, Bamford Street, Glascote, Tamworth, B77 2AS. Attendance follows Staffordshire County Council school terms, across 39 weeks of the year. Families therefore need a separate arrangement for school holidays.

Morning sessions run from 9am to 12pm; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The all-day option is 9am to 3.30pm. These are different booking choices, allowing a shorter preschool session or attendance spanning both parts of the day.

Breakfast Club extends the start to 8.30am and runs until 9am, with breakfast supplied if required. A lunch club bridges 12pm to 12.30pm. Both are separately charged optional extras, so they should be considered alongside the core session rather than assumed to be part of it.

Funding and Paid Extras

Private sessions and funded childcare are offered. Funding includes Staffordshire County Council Funding for 3/4 year olds, Think 2 funding for 2 year olds and working parents funding for 2 and 3 year olds. Attendance is term-time; participation in these schemes does not by itself establish an individual family's eligibility.

Children receive a snack with milk or water and can access water during their session; breakfast is provided when required within the separately charged Breakfast Club, while families supply a packed lunch for lunch club. Food arrangements therefore vary by item, with a charge for breakfast provision and lunch brought from home.

Payment can be made weekly using bank transfer, cheque or cash, or monthly through a standing order. Childcare vouchers are accepted. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the fees page sets out the session and optional-extra structure. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone.

• Individual learning steps. The June 2024 inspection asked for more precise planning of children's next learning steps. At a visit, ask how your child's key person selects a specific next step and demonstrates what changes as the child develops.
• Term-time coverage. The preschool runs for 39 weeks alongside local school terms. Families needing care through school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Lunch and additional care. Breakfast Club and lunch club are charged extras, and lunch comes from home. When discussing a booking, ask how these fit the sessions you want and what non-food consumables you should supply or pay for.

St George's Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those wanting an all-day term-time option. The key-person arrangement and play-led activities give it a clear educational shape, while the June 2024 observations add concrete examples of conversation, imaginative play and physical challenge.

The choice rests on fit as much as the Good judgement: the school-term calendar, packed-lunch arrangement and separately charged clubs all affect a family's week. Individual learning plans deserve close attention when considering the preschool.