North Leigh Pre-school

Conversation, independent play and close relationships shaped North Leigh Pre-school's November 2023 inspection picture. At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found that its work on language and personal development helped children express themselves and build friendships.

The pre-school has 24 places in total. In November 2023, it occupied a building on the North Leigh C of E Primary School site and catered for ages 2 to 11 across its provision, which included breakfast club.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the November 2023 examples included conversation, practical play and learning to manage resources independently. Staff chose vocabulary to introduce during activities and encouraged children to question, listen and experiment with words. Everyday play became an opportunity to practise communicating.

In November 2023, children used the image on a puzzle box to select pieces and invented games in the mud kitchen using ideas introduced by staff. These were concrete opportunities to try things for themselves. Outside, ball games and running provided energetic play, while learning to manage steps helped children access the outdoor area independently.

Group activities were less consistently adapted for younger children in November 2023. Storytime highlighted the difficulty: recognising a shorter attention span did not always lead to an equally useful activity. Learning about children's own cultures and those of others also needed further development.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that staff used children's interests to support settling, recognised individual learning needs and built secure key-person relationships. Familiar resources helped connect home interests with the pre-school day.

In November 2023, teaching was adjusted for children needing help with speaking, listening or independence, and additional funding supported learning and belonging. Families also received books as gifts or loans to share with their children. This extended an everyday activity beyond the setting.

The address is North Leigh C of E School, Park Road, North Leigh, OX29 6SS. In November 2023, opening hours were 7.45am to 3pm on weekdays during term time, with breakfast club serving children attending either the pre-school or the adjacent school.

Sharing school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Younger children's group time. Adapting adult-led activities was a November 2023 improvement point. At a visit, ask how storytime now accommodates children with different attention spans.
• Cultural learning. The November 2023 curriculum needed more depth on children's own and other cultures. Ask for examples of how this now enters everyday play and conversation.
• Attendance planning. The November 2023 arrangement combined term-time opening with breakfast club. What current session pattern would fit your child's age and your working day?

North Leigh's November 2023 strengths make it worth considering for families who value language development, independent play and personal relationships. Its inspection-era offer served both pre-school attendance and breakfast-club needs. Younger children's group experiences and cultural learning are the two specific areas to explore before choosing.