Puddleducks Pre-School

Parents help run the pre-school at Puddleducks, rather than simply using it. This charitable setting in Gateford, Worksop, is managed by a voluntary parent and carer committee, with the manager and practitioners responsible for daily care. Money generated goes back into the pre-school. For families who want a part in the organisation behind their child's early education, that structure matters.

Puddleducks accepts children aged 2 to 5 and is based at Bassetlaw Family Hub on Raymoth Lane. Ofsted rated it Good at its 5 May 2022 inspection, recognising children's independence and the practical learning built into play, while identifying inconsistencies in behaviour support, recording accidents, incidents and concerns, and afternoon teaching. Those findings give a useful starting point for choosing between sessions, rather than an unconditional endorsement.

Attendance is term-time only, with morning sessions, afternoons and full days among the options. A key person provides a continuing contact for each child's care and learning, making the relationship with families a concrete part of the offer.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides children's learning through play, exploration and active experiences, covering language, physical skills, relationships and later learning such as literacy and mathematics. This is the shared framework for early years provision. Puddleducks uses a play-based approach in which children initiate activities and practitioners join in to extend their thinking; choosing an activity does not mean being left to work everything out alone.

In May 2022, pouring was a useful example of how an activity connected with daily independence. Younger children practised transferring water and sand between containers with adult help, then used that control to pour drinks at snack time. The purpose went beyond keeping children occupied: a play experience became a skill they could use for themselves.

Language also received deliberate attention in May 2022. A language lead undertook training and shared it with colleagues, while practitioners used precise vocabulary and prompted children to express requests verbally. Mark-making took several forms, including brushes, fingers and pens. Older children explained their pictures, and staff demonstrated writing by adding names to younger children's work. Outdoors, insect searches gave children a reason to use a pen to record discoveries.

Outdoor and Community Life

Physical challenge featured in the May 2022 day: children could climb a tree, use a pyramid and run down a grassy slope, deciding when they needed adult assistance. That offered opportunities to judge a challenge as well as practise movement. These are dated examples of the outdoor experience, rather than a promise about today's equipment.

Outdoor Renovation 2023 documents a later change to the playground, with Nottinghamshire County Council thanked for its contribution. The outdoor space has therefore received attention beyond the inspection-era account.

Books have also provided a theme for shared activities. On World Book Day, 7 March 2024, children dressed as favourite characters and talked about stories; The Tiger Who Came to Tea was the week's book. This past event illustrates the connection between stories, conversation and imaginative participation, rather than establishing a recurring timetable or a current costume requirement.

A key person is assigned when a child starts. This practitioner combines responsibility for care and learning with being the family's main contact, keeping track of progress and sharing ideas for activities at home. Parents can request progress information at any time. The practical benefit is continuity: conversations about settling and development have a clear person to go to.

Regular attendance is part of the settling model. Children are expected to attend at least three sessions each week so they can become familiar with the setting and develop a sense of belonging. That makes Puddleducks a planned weekly commitment, rather than an occasional session to use whenever convenient.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff able to explain how they would respond to concerns about a child or a colleague, and checks for hazards taking place before sessions. This is a dated judgement, not a substitute for discussing current arrangements.

There were also specific weaknesses in May 2022. Behaviour strategies were sometimes applied inconsistently, leaving children unclear about why their actions needed to change. Trainee and temporary practitioners passed accident and incident information to permanent colleagues instead of making their own entries, so accounts were not consistently written by the person involved. The recording improvement point required trainees and supply staff to become familiar with recording accidents, incidents and concerns. These findings matter because clear explanations and direct recording are part of dependable everyday care.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, Monday to Friday. Afternoons are from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Tuesday to Friday, while full days on those days run from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Lunch Club bridges the sessions from 11.30am to 12.30pm, Tuesday to Friday. Monday is a morning-only day.

The minimum booking is three sessions of three hours each week. Session allocation aims to accommodate family preferences, but a first-choice pattern is not guaranteed. Term-time attendance also means families needing care during school holidays must plan separately.

Puddleducks is at Bassetlaw Family Hub, Raymoth Lane, Worksop, S81 7LU. Applications can be emailed to puddleducks.preschool@sky.com or posted to the pre-school administrator at that address; enquiries can be made on 01909 738707.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds, alongside 30 hours for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Funding is delivered term-time, with the entitlement information expressed over 38 weeks. Eligibility for working-family funding requires parents to obtain a code; participation in the scheme does not guarantee a particular attendance pattern.

Private sessions are charged where funding does not cover attendance. An administration charge is payable after accepting a place and is refunded in full during the child's first six weeks. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the funding and fees page explains the charge structure.

Families supply packed lunches for full days and Lunch Club, including funded attendance; morning and afternoon snacks carry no extra charge and usually consist of fruit or vegetables with milk or water. Parents also supply nappies, wipes and sun cream, keeping these non-food items separate from session charges.

• Afternoon learning. In May 2022, outdoor activities were not consistently refreshed or supported equally in the afternoon. Families considering afternoon-only attendance should ask during a visit how those sessions now receive equivalent teaching input.
• Consistency of care. The May 2022 improvement points covered behaviour strategies and familiarising trainees and supply staff with recording accidents, incidents and concerns. Ask how trainee and temporary practitioners are prepared to follow the same procedures as permanent colleagues.
• Weekly commitment. The minimum is three sessions, and Monday offers only a morning. Compare the term-time pattern with your working week and holiday childcare needs before choosing sessions.
• Application timing. Families are advised to apply after their child's first birthday; September is the main intake, with January and April intakes conditional on space. Joining the waiting list guarantees neither a place nor first-choice sessions.

Puddleducks suits families seeking morning attendance, afternoon sessions or full days within a term-time pre-school routine, and parents who value the opportunity to contribute through a voluntary committee. Its key-person arrangements give communication a clear structure, while the May 2022 examples show practical learning connected with children's independence.

The decision deserves attention to the detail of care. Afternoon teaching, consistent behaviour support and familiarity with recording accidents, incidents and concerns were specific improvement points in May 2022. For a family choosing a weekly pattern, understanding how those areas work now is as useful as the Good judgement itself.