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Metheringham Pre-School

Ofsted: Expected standard·The Village Hall, Fen Road, Lincoln, LN4 3AA · Lincolnshire
Number of places
40 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2026
Local authority
Lincolnshire

About this early years setting

Metheringham Pre-School, registered with Ofsted in 1992, operates from The Village Hall in Metheringham, Lincoln, catering to children aged 2 to 4 years. The pre-school received an overall 'Good' rating in its latest Ofsted inspection on 24 November 2025.

The setting is open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Children benefit from a curriculum that incorporates their current interests, for example exploring snow, to support the development of key skills.

The pre-school places importance on outdoor play, with children regularly engaging in activities such as transporting bricks and building towers. Staff work to build secure relationships with children, fostering a sense of safety and positive attachment.

They also promote healthy lifestyles and have implemented strategies like a 'breathing box' to help children manage their emotions. The pre-school makes use of additional funding to provide resources like sensory toys and one-to-one staff support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What it's like

Children's health and safety are not assured as leaders and staff fail to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities and lack sufficient knowledge about the children in their care to identify potential concerns and meet individual needs. Despite some inconsistent assessments, children are greeted warmly, settle quickly, and benefit from regular outdoor play, developing physical skills. Staff build secure relationships with children, but do not always notice deteriorating behaviour, especially during transitions.

Good overallEstablished 1992Outdoor play emphasisedSupports communicationEmotional well-being focus

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 09:00 - 15:00

Term time / All Year

All_year

Registered with Ofsted

1992

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected May 2026

Headline: Expected standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
2 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted report for Metheringham Pre-School

Last inspected 14 May 2026 · Emma Curry

Actions the provider must take

  • ensure that concerns about children's safety and welfare are swiftly identified and referred to the local authority children's social care team by 27/02/2026
  • use assessment to ensure children's learning needs are being met when planning the curriculum and to involve specialist support services where needed by 27/02/2026
  • ensure an effective key-person system is in place, whereby clear lines of communication are maintained with parents in order to obtain important information about children's lives outside of the setting by 27/02/2026
  • ensure robust systems are in place to obtain information about a child's need for medication by 27/02/2026

What it's like to attend

Children's health and safety are not assured as leaders and staff fail to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities and lack sufficient knowledge about the children in their care to identify potential concerns and meet individual needs. Despite some inconsistent assessments, children are greeted warmly, settle quickly, and benefit from regular outdoor play, developing physical skills. Staff build secure relationships with children, but do not always notice deteriorating behaviour, especially during transitions.

Inspector highlights

  • Children make expected progress in their communication and language development.
  • Leaders and staff promote the importance of attendance at the setting through discussions with parents.
  • Children show they feel safe in their environment and form positive attachments with staff.
  • Staff are positive role models in their respectful interactions with children and one another.
  • Children benefit from playing outside regularly and developing their physical skills.

Areas to develop

  • 1For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the curriculum is not ambitious enough.
  • 2Leaders fail to gather sufficient information on children to ensure that all their individual care needs are met and well supported.
  • 3Leaders do not liaise with services that have previously been involved in children's lives, nor do they routinely gather information about children's learning and development from settings that they have previously attended.
  • 4Leaders do not ensure effective lines of communication are in place with parents, to make sure that staff hold relevant and up-to-date information about children.
  • 5Leaders have failed to ensure the requirements of the early years foundation stage are met.
  • 6Leaders' oversight of practice is not effective in ensuring staff understand their role within the setting.
Inspection #10130465 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the curriculum is not ambitious enough. Staff plan activities around children's current interests, such as exploring snow, and consider how they can support children to develop key skills. Staff work with some parents to involve specialist services so that children who may have barriers to learning receive the support they need. Staff make use of additional funding to provide children with resources that support their learning or for one-to-one time with staff, such as sensory toys.

Outdoor space

Children benefit from playing outside regularly. They giggle with their friends as they develop their physical skills while they transport bricks in wheelbarrows and build towers.

Inspection history
Improved from Needs attention → Expected standard in 2026

Date: December 2009

  • May 2026Expected standard
  • November 2025Needs attention
  • June 2020Good
  • July 2015Outstanding
  • December 2009Good

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