Scarning Pre-School

A garden children can choose for themselves, a parent-led charity and a place within Scarning Primary School’s grounds give Scarning Pre-School a clear identity. It runs independently of the school, with an elected committee of parents overseeing the setting. The emphasis is on children choosing, experimenting and becoming more independent, rather than following an adult-selected activity all day.

At its 30 April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Scarning Pre-School Good overall and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. Its capacity is 40 children in total, and it accepts children from the term in which they turn two until school age. Little Acorns and Mighty Oaks provide separate spaces for the younger and older children. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions run during term time.

Outdoor choice is the strongest practical thread: children can move between their room and the garden for much of the day, with waterproof clothing supporting play in wet weather. Parents have a substantial role too, from contributing to their child’s learning journal to joining the committee. This is a setting where family involvement has a formal place in how the pre-school runs.

Rooms and Ages

Little Acorns takes children from the term of their second birthday until three, with imaginative play in the home corner, a cushioned reading den, sensory resources and an indoor sandpit supporting conversation, exploration and quieter play. Children choose resources for themselves. Bifold doors connect the room to the garden, making outdoor play part of the session rather than a separate excursion.

Mighty Oaks typically accommodates children aged three to four, combining role play, open-ended craft and construction with an emphasis on managing personal needs before primary school. Its snack bar gives children opportunities to clean tables and prepare fruit or vegetables under adult supervision. Waterproofs support garden play, while quiet spaces indoors and outside give children somewhere to pause when they need a break from the group.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: here, children build language, physical skills and independence through play, conversation and practical experiences. Staff observe what captures a child’s attention, then use that interest to extend their learning. Resources are accessible to children, so choosing what to use is part of the day itself.

The approach calls these exchanges teachable moments: adults respond to an interest as it unfolds, rather than saving all teaching for a scheduled activity. Observations also inform changes to the rooms and garden, including additional books, objects and experiences. That gives families a concrete picture of how child-led play and adult teaching are intended to work together.

In April 2025, children explored chick hatching and growing produce, and took part in weekly music sessions involving singing and instruments. These offered different routes into learning: observing living things, handling materials and expressing themselves through sound. The same visit identified uneven adaptation of planned activities to individual learning needs. The important distinction is between an appealing activity and teaching that keeps each child involved.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed garden offers more than space to run. A mud kitchen supports imaginative play, while planting gives children opportunities to sow seeds, care for plants and pick the resulting fruit and vegetables. Sand and water resources add experimentation; climbing equipment, tunnels and slides offer physical challenges. The choice between indoor and outdoor play lets children follow an interest across both spaces.

A summer house has been adapted into a sensory den for quiet time and activities supporting emotional regulation. Elsewhere, larger outdoor construction resources include planks, milk crates and real bricks. Children can combine these into their own structures, with opportunities to share ideas and solve practical problems together. The garden therefore accommodates energetic play, sustained projects and a quieter retreat.

In April 2025, children also used a wooden water pump station, practising movements such as pushing, lifting and pouring. Parents contributed their professional experience during sessions. These are useful examples of the pre-school bringing practical experiences into learning, rather than relying solely on toys and table activities.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before a child starts. Families discuss routines, preferences and dislikes with that practitioner, who also observes the child’s development and maintains their learning journal. Home visits and stay-and-play sessions are offered at the start of the year. These create opportunities to begin relationships before parents and children settle into the regular attendance pattern.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to share photographs and descriptions of children’s activities. Parents can contribute experiences from home, giving staff another view of their child’s interests and developing skills. Spotlight sheets explain current learning, the next steps and how staff intend to support them. That is a more useful basis for conversation than a simple account of what happened that day.

The team includes room seniors for both Little Acorns and Mighty Oaks, alongside a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). Early Years Practitioners hold a Level 3 Diploma in childcare or are working towards it. These are identifiable roles within the setting, rather than a general promise of individual attention.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that individual teaching, small-group work and a dedicated SEND team supported children’s progress, with speech and language therapists working alongside staff. The current arrangements include a SENCO and premises accessible to adults and children with disabilities. Together, these describe both the support structure and the practical accessibility of the setting.

Children do not need to be toilet trained before joining. Staff work with families on this, and Mighty Oaks continues that support while encouraging children to manage dressing and hygiene. Quiet areas and the garden’s sensory den provide options for children who need some time away from busier play. Support for independence is balanced with opportunities for reassurance and rest.

Sessions and Attendance

Scarning Pre-School is on Dereham Road, Scarning, Dereham, NR19 2PW, within Scarning Primary School’s grounds. Preschool sessions run Monday to Friday in term time: mornings are 9am to noon, afternoons noon to 3pm, and full days 9am to 3pm. Families can therefore choose a shorter session or a complete preschool day within the same setting.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 9am on term-time weekdays. After School Club also serves preschool and primary-school children, with handovers between the relevant staff teams. For preschool children, that means additional care can be organised around their session rather than requiring an unrelated collection arrangement.

The waiting-list process uses a registration form, which can be handed to staff or emailed to mail@scarningpreschool.co.uk. The contact number is 01362 699360. The form is the stated route for joining the waiting list; it does not establish that a place is free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible two-year-olds for up to 15 hours per week, alongside 15-hour funding for three- and four-year-olds from the term following their third birthday and 30-hour funding for eligible families, subject to space. Attendance is term time. Private sessions are also offered, and families should obtain current prices in the pre-school’s written quotation.

Parents supply a fruit or vegetable snack and can pack lunch, or choose a separately charged lunch prepared by Scarning Primary School’s kitchen. The pre-school publishes a nut-free policy; children can bring breakfast and after-school snacks from home.

Nappies, wipes, cleaning products and nappy sacks come from home, as do suncream and sunhats for warmer weather. The starter checklist also calls for spare clothing and a named water bottle, while uniform is optional. These are practical preparations for messy play, outdoor time and toilet training.

School preparation in Mighty Oaks includes summer-term transition work and developing independence. In April 2025, staff worked closely with teachers at the school on site to support continuity of learning and care. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place at Scarning Primary School; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time rhythm. Morning, afternoon and full-day preschool sessions all follow a term-time pattern. Families needing holiday childcare will need an arrangement that covers those periods.
• Teaching and risk awareness. In April 2025, improvement priorities included adapting activities more consistently to children’s next learning steps and helping them understand how to manage risks themselves. During a tour, ask how staff now put both into everyday play.
• After-school timing. Contact hours give a 3pm start for After School Club, while the club’s own description gives 3.15pm. Confirm the handover time when arranging care around a preschool session.
• Food and personal care. Snacks and nappy supplies come from home, while school-kitchen lunches cost extra. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling practice against the nut-free policy before their child starts.

Scarning Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance as well as those wanting a full preschool day during term time. Its strongest practical attractions are children’s freedom to use the garden, accessible play resources and a key-person relationship supported by shared learning records. The parent committee offers another route into the life of the setting.

The Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with specific development priorities around individualised teaching and children’s understanding of risk. For families comfortable with the term-time calendar and home-supplied snacks and personal-care items, the combination of outdoor choice, settling support and preparation for school gives this pre-school a clear purpose.