West Cliff Pre-School

Worm hunting outdoors and chalk patterns on the patio gave West Cliff Pre-School’s learning a practical character in May 2021. At its May 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good overall. The strongest examples connected movement, curiosity and early learning: digging prompted exploration, while dancing movements became marks made with chalk.

Based at St. Ambrose Church on West Cliff Road in Bournemouth, the pre-school has capacity for 26 children. In May 2021, children attending were aged 2 to 4. That age range belongs to the inspection period.

In May 2021, the early years foundation stage was the required framework, expressed here through counting games, conversation, physical exploration and early writing. Staff planned learning around children’s interests and needs, giving their own curiosity a place in the day’s activities.

The outdoor area offered soil to investigate and worms to discover. Indoors, climbing and balancing gave children opportunities to try physical challenges with staff support and practise judging risks. These were concrete opportunities to explore with both hands and bodies.

Music connected with mark-making. Children rehearsed arm movements while dancing, then repeated those movements in chalk patterns on the patio. Mathematical activities included counting backwards during space-themed play, estimating how many balls were in buckets and putting numbers into sequence. These examples made abstract ideas something children could act out or handle.

At the May 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described targeted help for children needing additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, alongside work with external agencies.

In May 2021, a key-person system helped staff build relationships with families. Staff listened to children and responded to their needs; conversations with parents helped them understand family circumstances and arrange additional help. Communication about children’s development also included seeking parents’ views.

Behaviour training had helped staff support children with their feelings following lockdown disruption. Staff themselves received supervision and help with workload and wellbeing. The improvement priority was specific: conversations and other interactions did not consistently extend children’s learning, and professional development needed a sharper emphasis on this practice.

The address is St. Ambrose Church, West Cliff Road, Bournemouth, BH4 8BE. In May 2021, the pre-school operated in a church hall and opened Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 1.30pm, during term time. Those historical hours describe a morning-to-early-afternoon arrangement for families planning care around the school calendar.

• Teaching interactions. The May 2021 improvement priority concerned how consistently staff extended children’s learning. This is a useful point to explore when discussing the children’s day.
• Attendance planning. The May 2021 opening pattern was term-time, ending at 1.30pm. What are the current attendance arrangements and accepted ages?

West Cliff Pre-School merits consideration by families drawn to practical exploration, movement and close relationships with staff. Its May 2021 examples give that character substance, while the teaching-interaction priority provides a clear qualification. The historical term-time hours would suit families seeking care through the morning into early afternoon; they should be read as a dated arrangement.