Exton Road Pre-School

A church-hall setting with parents involved in learning gives Exton Road Pre-School its character. Based at St Thomas More Church Hall in Bournemouth, it welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has 34 places in total. The emphasis is on play, a familiar key person and sharing children's development with families.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its July 2021 inspection. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assessment of today's daily practice. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit within a term-time calendar, making the pre-school relevant to families whose childcare needs follow school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, covering language, physical development, relationships and the foundations of literacy and mathematics. It is the framework for early years education, rather than an extra programme unique to Exton Road.

Children choose some activities themselves; practitioners organise others. That balance gives them opportunities to pursue an interest and finish a task, while also joining activities that introduce unfamiliar experiences. Adult-led work happens in both smaller and larger groups, so the day includes individual choice and time spent learning alongside others.

The practical emphasis reaches beyond early reading and numbers. Children explore materials, use their imagination and develop an understanding of people and the world around them. These activities sit alongside opportunities to practise speaking, listening and managing feelings. Learning is broader than preparation for written work.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play includes activities selected by children and others organised by adults. It supports movement and exploration as part of the learning day, alongside indoor experiences.

Parents can contribute their own interests and skills to sessions. Past examples include playing a clarinet, sharing carnival photographs and showing a shell collection. These are examples of family participation, rather than a fixed programme of visiting specialists: a child's learning can draw on what the people around them know and enjoy.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who works with the family on their needs and interests, including settling when they first start. Staff and parents agree how to approach those first days. The arrangement gives families a particular practitioner with whom to discuss their child, rather than leaving communication entirely to whoever is free.

Tapestry is used to create a digital Learning Journey, bringing together a child's interests, activities and achievements. Parents contribute information from home, while staff use observations, photographs and videos to document development. This makes communication part of planning what comes next, as well as recording what has happened.

Assessment summaries are made periodically and at transitions, including moving on to school. The key person also completes the written progress check at age two, incorporating parents' contributions. Families therefore have both an ongoing record and points at which development is brought together for discussion.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The pre-school takes individual special educational needs into account and works to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice. Staff also undertake further training together. These are arrangements for supporting children and maintaining staff knowledge; they do not establish an inspection judgement about the effectiveness of that support.

Everyday independence receives practical attention. Children are encouraged to manage toileting and outdoor clothes, with easy-to-handle clothing helping them practise. Protective clothing is supplied for messy play. Snacks are eaten together, and families are asked to share dietary requirements so snack planning can take account of them.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run Monday to Friday from 8.45am, ending at noon or 1pm. Afternoon sessions begin at noon or 1pm and finish at 4pm; full-day attendance combines both sessions. The timetable extends across Monday to Friday.

The pre-school opens for 38 weeks a year and closes for school holidays. That calendar is a substantial practical consideration for families needing continuity of childcare throughout the year. Children staying over lunchtime bring a packed lunch for the noon-to-1pm period.

Getting There

The address is St Thomas More Church Hall, 42 Exton Road, Bournemouth, BH6 5QG. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, which includes fields for the child's age and intended start date.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early education funding is accepted for two-, three- and four-year-olds, alongside the 30 hour extended funding. Private fees apply where funding is not received. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; fees are payable in advance for each half-term.

• School-holiday cover. The 38-week calendar excludes school holidays. Families needing care during those breaks will need an arrangement that covers them.
• Lunchtime and session boundaries. Morning and afternoon sessions have alternative noon or 1pm boundaries, with packed lunch between them. At a visit, establish which combination fits your child's day.
• The complete cost. Funding and private attendance are both offered. Request a written quotation setting out how meals, non-food consumables and any additional hours would be treated for your booking.

Exton Road suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those combining them into a full day during term time. Its clearest practical strengths are the key-person relationship, parent contributions to learning and the digital record through Tapestry. The July 2021 Good judgement provides a dated inspection reference, while the holiday calendar and lunchtime arrangements deserve close attention when choosing an attendance pattern.