Scribbles Pre-School Bawdeswell

Soft lighting in the baby room, a reading nook for older children and a Sensory Room with swings give Scribbles Pre-School Bawdeswell a recognisable character. Its hygge approach puts comfort, simplicity and homelike surroundings into the nursery day. Natural materials and quieter spaces sit alongside messy exploration, early writing and outdoor play.

The nursery has 25 places in total and accepts children from three months, with rooms extending to age five. It operates independently behind Bawdeswell Primary School, in Bawdeswell near Dereham. That school-site position is useful context, but nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

At its 27 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in adult-led teaching and the organisation of routines. Those findings deserve attention alongside the appealing physical spaces. The strongest practical combination here is age-specific rooms, a dedicated sensory environment and communication through a child's key person and Baby's Days.

Rooms and Ages

Scribblings, the baby room for ages zero to two, combines natural materials, gentle lighting and warm colours with sensory experiences, nature-based activities and time to rest quietly.

For two-year-olds, Squiggles uses furniture scaled to children, natural textures and subdued lighting, with hands-on and nature-based play supporting movement, creativity and relationships. The practical value of that furniture is straightforward: the surroundings are designed for children beginning to do more for themselves.

Sketchers, for three- to five-year-olds, has a reading nook and nature-inspired resources, with imaginative play, art and early literacy supporting social skills, problem-solving and preparation for school.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for tracking development during the early years: children build skills through experiences such as play, conversation, movement and early literacy. Hygge sits alongside this framework as Scribbles' approach to the surroundings and atmosphere. Its concrete expression is visible in the room materials, lighting and opportunities for quiet activity.

Early literacy includes practising name writing and exploring phonics, helping children connect letters with sounds. Sensory exploration has its own daily rhythm, with a different material introduced each day. That gives children something tangible to investigate while using their hands and talking about what they discover.

In October 2022, themed learning linked activities across ages: babies investigated pumpkin textures, toddlers hid toy hedgehogs beneath leaves, and older children explored lavender and scented tea bags in a woodland kitchen. Language accompanied the action, with staff adding descriptive words as children mixed soil and water. These examples show how a familiar seasonal theme can produce different experiences for different developmental stages.

The same October 2022 account included children using pincers to lift lemon slices and tapping golf tees into pumpkins with hammers. These were practical opportunities to develop hand control. However, some children disengaged during activities directed by adults, and lengthy snack-time waits interrupted learning. Attractive resources did not consistently translate into sustained participation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden exploration and frequent community walks extend learning beyond the rooms. Each year, children follow caterpillars through their transformation into butterflies before releasing them. The sequence gives children a real process to observe over time, rather than only a picture or explanation of the life cycle.

In October 2022, outdoor activity varied by age: babies crawled through tunnels and balanced on soft-play equipment, toddlers used trikes, and preschool children climbed and chased one another. That dated picture adds useful detail about physical play, while the current offer also includes nature-based activities throughout the year and outdoor exploration in different weather.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who provides a consistent caregiving relationship and a main contact for parents. This gives families a clear person with whom to discuss their child's routines and concerns.

Baby's Days records individual experiences and achievements and allows parents to communicate with the nursery. The combination of a key person and a shared digital record gives families two ways to stay involved: a relationship with a practitioner and an account of their child's development.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that information gathered from parents during settling-in helped staff understand children's starting points, with subsequent observations informing support for developmental gaps. In October 2022, daily handovers and an online platform also provided feedback to families.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The Sensory Room contains treasure baskets, a contrast area in black and white, soft play and swings, as well as calming lights. It is intended for all children, with additional sensory support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Its value is the separate space and equipment: a child needing quieter sensory exploration has an alternative to the main play room.

A SENCO role sits within the management team, and staff expertise includes a qualification in supporting visually impaired children. Safeguarding lead roles and practitioners with paediatric first aid are also part of the staffing structure.

The nursery chef prepares homemade hot lunches with seasonal variety, including vegetarian and vegan alternatives, while families may supply packed lunches instead. Scribbles' food policy excludes nuts, Nutella, peanut butter, popcorn and mini marshmallows, so packed food needs to fit its rules as well as a child's dietary requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Scribbles opens throughout the year, with closures for bank holidays and part of the Christmas period.

A separate Before and After School Club serves children aged five to twelve, with places to read, do homework and socialise alongside creative and outdoor activities. The Holiday Club covers the same ages and includes nature walks, science experiments and themed days. These are school-age services, separate from the nursery rooms.

Getting There

The address is Fakenham Road, Bawdeswell, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4RR. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01362 686891, by email or through the contact form.

Scribbles occupies a site behind Bawdeswell Primary School but is a separate organisation. Attending the nursery does not guarantee admission to Reception. The nursery's wraparound service for school children should be understood separately from that admissions decision.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use 15 or 30 funded hours, with funded childcare stretched across the year. Universal funding begins in the term after a child's third birthday; eligible working-parent funding begins in the term after a child reaches nine months. Stretched delivery spreads entitlement across school holidays rather than keeping the same weekly allocation as a term-time arrangement.

For funded care, food and nappies may be charged separately as optional extras; families can provide packed lunches. Additional hours and trips or excursions are also listed as optional extras outside funded hours. These categories matter when comparing the funded entitlement with the overall childcare bill.

Invoices itemise booking patterns and extra charges, making the distinction between hours and additions easier to follow. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The funding and extras page explains the charge structure.

• Participation and waiting time. In October 2022, some children lost interest in adult-led activities and snack routines involved extended waits. On a visit, ask how activities are adapted when children disengage and how snack time now protects play.
• Sensory support in practice. The Sensory Room and SENCO role are concrete resources. Families whose child needs additional support should discuss how those resources would fit their child's daily care.
• Food choices and costs. Funded care can carry optional food and nappy charges, while packed lunches must follow the nursery's food rules. Allergy-affected families should confirm current preparation and handling arrangements.
• The school-site distinction. Scribbles is independent of Bawdeswell Primary School. Its position behind the school and its wraparound care do not guarantee a Reception place, so families need to plan school applications separately.

Scribbles suits families seeking nursery care in age-specific rooms, with sensory exploration, natural materials and a Sensory Room for quieter exploration. It also serves families needing before- and after-school care or holiday activities for older children. The key-person relationship and Baby's Days make parent communication a tangible part of the offer.

Appealing rooms and concrete care arrangements sit alongside the October 2022 concerns about engagement and waiting time.