Squiggles Pre-School Wormley

Bikes, books and learning to take turns give Squiggles Pre-School Wormley its clearest character. Based at Wormley Sports Club, this preschool combines a play-led approach with opportunities to develop independence. In May 2023, children chose activities confidently, contributed to group stories and practised sharing outdoor equipment. These are useful foundations for children learning to manage both their own interests and the needs of others.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 10 May 2023. It has 40 places in total and accepts ages 24 to 60 months; that whole-setting capacity should not be read as the size of a child's daily group. The current opening pattern is Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm during term time, with closure during school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides the preschool's approach, with children learning through play, relationships and practical experiences. It provides the framework for their learning and development rather than a separate enrichment programme. The emphasis here is on building confidence and independence alongside friendships, so learning includes how children communicate and participate as well as what they know.

In May 2023, children could decide which activities to pursue, while adults also worked with them individually and in small groups. Staff helped children stay engaged with their chosen activity. This combination gave children room to make decisions while retaining adult guidance when they needed it.

Books and games supplied concrete routes into early literacy and mathematics in May 2023. Children practised writing their names and used books both for enjoyment and to find information. Turn-taking games introduced counting to younger children, while questions encouraged older children to solve problems. The useful distinction is that the same broad activity could involve different challenges, rather than expecting every child to work at the same point.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2023, outdoor play included bikes and a timer that helped children wait for their turn. Children also explained how a zebra crossing worked and connected red and green signals with stopping and going. The bikes and timer gave children practice in waiting and sharing. Their explanations of crossing rules demonstrated an understanding of when to stop and go safely.

Group stories offered another opportunity to contribute in May 2023. Children joined in, expressed opinions and showed familiarity with the shape of a story. For families considering preschool as preparation for school, these examples matter because listening, speaking and taking part sit alongside early writing and counting.

Designated safeguarding and special educational needs lead roles form part of the current staff structure, alongside key person roles. The manager holds an early years degree, and the team includes staff trained in first aid and food allergy awareness. Those are concrete arrangements and skills for families to discuss against their child's needs; they do not replace an assessment of day-to-day care.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support effective, with staff working alongside professionals to obtain specialist help and children making good progress from their starting points. The detail behind that judgement included staff identifying gaps in learning and directing support towards them. It gives a dated picture of how individual needs were addressed.

There were also two practical weaknesses in May 2023. Information exchanged with other settings that children attended was insufficient to support continuity, and responsibility for attendance recording was sometimes assumed to belong to another member of staff. These are relevant distinctions: support involving specialist professionals was stronger than coordination across different childcare settings, while attendance recording needed a clearer routine.

Squiggles operates at Wormley Sports Club, Church Lane, Broxbourne, EN10 7QF. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm on weekdays during term time, so the calendar is an important part of the childcare decision. School-holiday closure means families need an arrangement that also works outside term time.

The Wormley contact form provides an enquiry route, and telephone enquiries can be made on 07885 426220. Keeping the enquiry specific to Wormley helps families discuss this setting's routines and their child's needs with the appropriate team.

In May 2023, the preschool provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise about a family's entitlement or the terms of a current funded place.

• Care across two settings. In May 2023, information sharing with other settings children attended needed attention. Families combining childcare should ask how learning information now passes between the settings.
• Attendance recording. The May 2023 improvement action concerned completing attendance records promptly. A visit is an opportunity to ask who takes responsibility for that routine and how completion is checked.
• Term-time costs and food. Opening follows the term-time calendar. Before committing, ask for a written quotation explaining current funded-hours terms, meals and non-food consumables alongside any paid hours.

Squiggles Pre-School Wormley suits families seeking term-time preschool within a weekday 9am-to-3pm opening window. Its strongest evidence is the May 2023 picture of children choosing activities, using books and games, and practising cooperation outdoors. Current safeguarding, special educational needs and key person roles give families useful starting points for discussing individual care.

The two May 2023 improvement actions deserve attention, especially for children attending another setting as well. The decision rests on whether this term-time arrangement fits family life and whether the present routines address those specific concerns.