Ascot and Cranbourne Pre School

Play, growing independence and a setting within Cranbourne Primary School's grounds give Ascot and Cranbourne Pre School its character. Indoor and outdoor space support a workshop-style approach: children explore materials, learn alongside one another and practise doing things for themselves. This is a pre-school where the practical business of becoming more independent has a clear place in the day.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding at its December 2021 inspection, finding an ambitious curriculum, effective safeguarding and strong support for children's development. That judgement belongs to a dated visit. The current setting has capacity for 30 children, while the children attending in December 2021 were aged two to four.

Parents also have a part in how the pre-school runs. An annually elected parent committee handles fundraising and financial decisions, with money raised going towards children's equipment. For families who want to contribute beyond their own child's attendance, that creates a concrete route into the life of the setting.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS brings together children's learning, development and care, including communication, physical skills and learning through play. Here, Development matters is used as curriculum guidance, alongside practitioners' knowledge of the children currently attending. Planning therefore starts with children's interests and development rather than treating the group as though everyone learns at the same pace.

The workshop-style indoor environment encourages exploration and interaction. Its value is practical: children can learn by doing, test ideas in play and work with other children rather than only listening to instructions. Communication, early literacy, mathematics and creative expression sit alongside social and physical development.

In December 2021, children practised the sounds represented by letters and used them to build short words. Independence received equally concrete attention: staff broke down the task of putting on a coat and fastening it, helping children persist before stepping in. These examples show how preparation for school extended beyond early reading to managing everyday tasks.

Turn-taking also had a place in the December 2021 day. A guessing activity used small boxes and verbal clues, giving children something to listen for while waiting for their turn. Counting in French and Spanish recognised children's home languages, and parents contributed cultural dishes to share. Language and wider-world learning were connected to the families attending.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor space are part of the current environment within Cranbourne Primary School's grounds. That gives physical play a place alongside the workshop-style learning indoors.

In December 2021, children could choose to go outside, where they climbed, dug and rode bikes and trikes. They also danced to music and noticed their heartbeat after exercise. Movement was more than a break between activities: these experiences linked energetic play with an understanding of their bodies and awareness of other children sharing the space.

A key person observes each child's interests, learning and development, and builds a relationship with their family. This gives parents a practitioner with particular responsibility for understanding their child. It also connects everyday play with the decisions staff make about what to offer next.

Once a term, parents can attend an open afternoon to discuss development with their child's key worker. When that is impractical, the alternative is a brief written update and a telephone conversation. The choice matters for families whose working hours make an afternoon discussion difficult: communication has another route.

Support for special educational needs or disabilities includes identifying needs and responding to them, with an inclusion officer role. At the December 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that staff drew on professional and host-school advice to support children with SEND, who progressed quickly from their starting points, and that safeguarding procedures were effective, supported by training and checks on staff understanding.

In December 2021, staff also handled disagreements promptly and in ways suited to children's ages. Children practised sharing and taking turns, while adults encouraged them to keep trying with personal tasks. For a parent weighing care alongside learning, these examples show the attention given at that visit to relationships, patience and everyday confidence.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Lovel Road, Winkfield, Windsor, SL4 2EU. Families can contact the pre-school by telephone on 01344 885020, by email or through its contact form.

In December 2021, opening hours were 9am to 3pm on five days each week, during term time. These are the opening arrangements at that visit, rather than a description of a current booking package.

The waiting list follows application-date order. Families join it by completing an application form, obtainable online or at the pre-school; joining the list does not guarantee a place. The ordering rule gives families a clear procedure to follow, while keeping the distinction between making an application and receiving an offer.

Funding and Moving On

In December 2021, the pre-school received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four.

The pre-school sits within Cranbourne Primary School's grounds. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The school setting and the school admissions decision are separate considerations.

• A dated Outstanding judgement. The inspection took place in December 2021. On a visit, ask how the current day develops the early-language work, independence and outdoor play described at that time.
• Application-date ordering. A completed form joins the waiting list, and list membership does not guarantee a place. Treat an application and a confirmed offer as separate steps when planning childcare.
• School grounds and Reception admissions. Sharing Cranbourne Primary School's site does not secure a school place. Keep the local authority application timetable separate from pre-school arrangements.
• The practical package. What attendance arrangements and funded-hour terms now apply, including the treatment of meals and consumables? Resolve this in a written quotation before choosing a pattern of care.

Ascot and Cranbourne Pre School suits families who value play-led learning, a key-person relationship and the chance to participate through a parent committee. The workshop-style environment and access to outdoor space give that offer a concrete shape. Termly discussions, with a written and telephone alternative, also make parent communication practical.

The December 2021 picture was compelling: early sound work, patient support for independence and energetic outdoor activity were woven into the day. The Outstanding judgement is a useful reference point, with its date kept in view. This is a setting to consider for parents drawn to a pre-school within primary-school grounds, while treating Reception admissions as a separate process.