Oughtrington Pre School

An outdoor sensory kitchen, seasonal fruit trees and children photographing their own creations give Oughtrington Pre School a practical, hands-on character in its November 2023 account. Ofsted rated the setting Good on 28 November 2023. Its base is Oughtrington Community Centre in Lymm, with capacity for 26 children in total.

The children attending in November 2023 were aged two to four. The strongest examples combine language, independence and outdoor exploration, while the improvement priorities concern extending mathematics and adjusting activities for different abilities.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the November 2023 examples show children practising language, movement and everyday tasks through play.

During that month, learning about hedgehogs introduced vocabulary about their bodies and winter behaviour. Children photographed models they had made and washed their snack dishes, giving them practical responsibility for their creations and routines.

Outside, the sensory kitchen supported recipe-making. In the Orchard, changes in fruit trees across the seasons offered opportunities to explore how plants grow; observing minibeasts added another close-up encounter with nature. Tool work on model crocodiles and drawing body outlines with chalk gave children opportunities to practise controlled movements.

Mathematics needed greater depth in November 2023. Counting children beside an activity tray and working out how many knives were needed introduced numbers into everyday activity, but staff did not consistently extend what children already knew. Activities also needed better adjustment for younger children and differing abilities. Enthusiasm alone was not enough to make each task an appropriate challenge.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children, including those with SEND, progressing well, with the SENCo arranging referrals and following specialist advice. This gave families a concrete route to additional support.

In November 2023, staff helped children express anger by putting on monster slippers and stamping, turning a difficult feeling into an action they could understand. Clear instructions, reminders about behaviour and adults modelling manners supported sharing and daily routines.

Parents received regular learning updates that month. Staff also checked children's development, while supervision meetings and observations of teaching supported practitioners' development.

January 2025 regulatory action followed concerns involving record keeping, suitable people, safeguarding and staffing. Changes addressed safeguarding knowledge and training, supervision, accident reporting and risk assessment. In June 2026, further regulatory action required accessible records and clearer information for parents about children's food and drink. Those actions were met. A further suitable-people requirement was also corrected by notifying Ofsted of everyone associated with the setting.

The address is Oughtrington Community Centre, Oughtrington Crescent, Lymm, WA13 9JD.

In November 2023, opening hours were 7.45am 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.

• Mathematical challenge. Extending children's existing number knowledge was a November 2023 improvement priority. During a visit, ask how familiar counting activities now lead to harder tasks.
• Different starting points. Activities were not consistently adjusted for younger children in November 2023. Ask how the same activity is adapted for children with different abilities.
• Attendance fit. The November 2023 pattern followed school terms and ended in mid-afternoon. What attendance arrangements and funded-hours options would suit your family's week now?
• Repeated regulatory issues. Record keeping and suitable people featured in both the January 2025 and June 2026 regulatory accounts, which describe remedial action. During a visit, ask how records, suitability notifications and information about food are now managed.

The November 2023 picture suits families who value practical independence, outdoor discovery and help with expressing emotions. The sensory kitchen and Orchard give that picture substance. The important balance is between those engaging experiences and the need for more individual challenge, especially in mathematics.