Shipdham Pre-School

Raised beds, a bug hotel and a separate Baby Room give Shipdham Pre-School a character that reaches beyond its preschool name. Outdoor exploration has a substantial place here, while younger children have their own space for sensory play and rest. This is a committee-run setting, with parents, carers and grandparents helping to sustain its work.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective, with communication, independence and preparation for school prominent in the curriculum. That judgement is dated, but its practical themes remain recognisable in today's activities: storytelling, children making choices, musical play and hands-on discovery.

On Pound Green Lane in Shipdham, the setting has 36 places in total and accepts children from 18 months, with most children aged two or above until school age. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside flexible hours and wraparound care, all within a term-time calendar.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves under-twos, with sensory resources, room for exploration at floor level and provision for naps, supported by a dedicated member of staff. Play and rest have their own space.

Elsewhere, the indoor layout gives different kinds of play their own setting. A construction space accommodates blocks and train tracks; craft tables support jigsaws, creative work and smaller hand movements. Messy-play activities change daily, moving between materials such as paint, dough and sand.

Role play changes too. A hospital, police station or farm shop can provide the context for conversation and imaginative play. Changing scenarios give children new reasons to talk together.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation, stories and practical activities give children opportunities to build language, social and physical skills. The preschool's objectives also include early reading and writing, recognising numbers and letters, and investigating the natural world.

There is a recognisable rhythm to the day, but children have choices within it. Group time allows them to share news or something brought from home, while longer periods combine child-chosen play with activities planned to extend learning. Snack takes place alongside play, allowing children to finish what they are doing before eating. Later group activities include stories, movement, songs and games.

In February 2023, adults extended children's vocabulary through conversation rather than relying solely on organised language activities. Singing and rhymes happened daily, and story discussions encouraged children to predict what might happen next.

Independence was equally practical in February 2023. Children managed their drinks, belongings and outdoor clothing, and helped clear plates after eating. Older children supported younger ones during water play. School preparation included managing tasks and sharing space.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Forest School Area supports learning through outdoor exploration, with raised beds for watching plants grow and binoculars and magnifying glasses for examining wildlife. Bird boxes, feeders and a bug hotel give children things to observe over time.

The Mud Kitchen and Reading Circle add different uses to the outdoor space, alongside a sandpit, den and construction area. Outdoor play remains accessible during the play period, with waterproof clothes encouraged for wet weather.

In February 2023, children used climbing equipment and balance beams, including trying backwards movement with adult support. Beyond the setting, outings include village walks and posting cards children have made for their families; day trips are assessed for risk beforehand.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is allocated a key person who acts as the family's main contact for discussing development and takes responsibility for observations, assessment and records. Flexible settling sessions allow a child and parent or carer to become familiar with the setting and staff.

Tapestry is used to keep parents informed about learning and development. Collection also includes an individual handover and a short account of the child's day. Families receive both learning updates and daily conversation.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that key-person relationships and planned next steps supported children's progress, and that staff worked with families to identify additional needs and make referrals; it also identified inconsistent support for learning at home and insufficiently targeted staff supervision and training.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Current support roles include a SENCO, a special educational needs co-ordinator, and an ELSA, an emotional literacy support assistant trained to plan individual and small-group work around children's emotional and social needs.

Staff training includes Signalong, a communication system combining key-word signs with spoken language, and Elklan and Wellcomm assessment training used to evaluate speech and communication. Staff also have training in behaviour management and outdoor learning, and all staff have paediatric first-aid training.

Toilet training is not an entry requirement. Staff can support a routine already begun at home or help when a family chooses to start. Rest is accounted for in the Baby Room, while clothing is practical: uniform is optional, and named clothes are requested to help children and staff identify belongings.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates on weekdays during school terms. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. Flexible hours are also offered, and the daily routine includes lunch for children attending both sessions or staying for the afternoon.

Wraparound care extends the operating day from 7am to 5.30pm. Breakfast club begins at 7am, with additional care after the afternoon session running from 3pm to 5.30pm. These options allow families to combine a preschool session with earlier or later care, while the term-time calendar remains the central practical constraint.

Getting There

The address is Pound Green Lane, Shipdham, Norfolk, IP25 7LF, behind Thomas Bullock CE VA Primary Academy, with access through the school's car park. Families can make an enquiry by telephone, email or the online contact form.

School preparation includes work towards the transition to Thomas Bullock Primary School, Shipdham. Attending this preschool does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority's school admissions process. Preparation for school and the allocation of a school place are separate matters.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both privately paid and government-funded childcare are offered. Funded provision follows the term-time calendar, with the universal entitlement of up to 15 weekly hours for three- and four-year-olds and 30 weekly hours for eligible working parents of children aged nine months to under five. The working-parent entitlement applies from the term after children turn nine months until they start school, subject to eligibility and the preschool's accepted ages.

Breakfast and the snack during after-session care are included in their respective prices; afternoon children can bring lunch from home or have a separately charged school-canteen meal, paid to the school beforehand. Morning children receive a healthy snack.

Fees are payable by the end of the month, and current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. The session and charges page sets out the attendance choices and meal arrangements. Logo clothing can be purchased, but wearing it is a family choice.

• Term-time coverage. Morning sessions, afternoon sessions and wraparound care all sit within school terms. Families needing childcare during school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• The youngest children. Under-twos have a separate Baby Room and a dedicated member of staff. At a visit, ask how rest, floor play and contact with older children are organised for your child's stage.
• Learning beyond the session. In February 2023, support for learning at home needed greater consistency, and supervision needed to identify teaching weaknesses more precisely. Ask how home-learning ideas and staff development now address those two points.
• Lunch choices. Afternoon attendance involves either a packed lunch or a charged meal from the school canteen. For a child with dietary needs, confirm how the chosen lunch arrangement will work in practice.

Shipdham Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, flexible attendance or wraparound care during school terms. Its outdoor spaces have substance: planting, wildlife observation and imaginative play give children several ways to explore, while the Baby Room offers a separate base for under-twos.

The February 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, qualified by improvement work around home learning and staff supervision. For parents, the strongest combination is practical independence, language-rich activity and identifiable support roles. The term-time calendar and the separate school application process belong in the decision alongside those strengths.