Downside Pre-School

Two adjoining play rooms, an open connecting doorway and a garden children can choose for themselves give Downside Pre-School a clear character: children have room to follow an interest and change direction. This purpose-built Dunstable setting combines that freedom with practical work on communication, independence and healthy habits. Its offer is for children aged two to five, with 44 places in total.

At its 19 January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The current offer includes the WellComm Speech and Language Toolkit, which combines language screening with activities matched to children's needs, and the My Smile Award, an oral-health initiative brought into play through brushing demonstrations and food preparation.

Term-time morning and afternoon sessions suit families seeking shorter attendance patterns around school terms.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning and care: play, conversation, movement and everyday routines all contribute to their development. Downside's open-plan layout puts different activities within reach, with spaces for imaginative play, construction, art and early number and literacy experiences. Children can move between the two rooms rather than remaining in a single activity area.

Quiet spaces offer somewhere to pause, while freely accessible garden play lets children choose between indoor and outdoor activities during sessions.

In January 2024, stories were revisited across a week, with children using props and puppets to act out events and recall their order. Repetition gave them opportunities to try familiar language again. Creative work also involved decisions: children worked out how to attach extra paper to their pictures, then discussed their creations with staff. These examples show how conversation can grow from an activity children already care about.

The January 2024 teaching priorities were: bringing more number and measurement language into everyday play, and making activities more demanding when individual children were ready. The concern was about the precision of teaching, rather than the absence of activities. A busy play space still needs adults who recognise the right moment to extend a child's thinking.

WellComm adds a more structured route for communication support. A screening takes around 10-15 minutes and considers both understanding and spoken language, using playful activities and discussion with parents. Staff pause if a child loses interest and return another time. Results then inform a plan, with activities from The Big Book of Ideas incorporated into the preschool day when extra support is needed.

Reassessment every three months informs next steps: targeted activities, individual help or referral to a Speech and Language Therapist for persistent difficulties.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor experiences include active play and exploration of nature. The My Smile work has also included planting tomatoes intended for snack time, linking growing food with eating it. That is a small, tangible way to connect an outdoor activity with a familiar daily routine.

Local support contributes to resources rather than implying an educational partnership. Irmak Lounge Dunstable is among the preschool's business supporters, while sponsorship helps fund snacks and replace learning materials. Families can also become involved in the charity's governance and fundraising through trustee roles, with staff handling daily operations.

Relationships and Communication

A key-person system gives children and families a regular relationship within the staff team. Behaviour support centres on adults helping children calm down and understand feelings before expecting them to manage those feelings independently. Naming emotions, modelling calming strategies and agreeing approaches with parents make that work practical.

In January 2024, staff helped less confident and newly starting children find activities they enjoyed, then encouraged them to make their own choices. For children learning English, picture cards and familiar words supplied by parents supported communication; a translation application helped adults exchange information. These are specific ways to make the first weeks more understandable, rather than expecting a child to manage everything through spoken English.

Tapestry provides individual diaries, language progress updates and home activities. Monthly newsletters cover preschool learning, events and reminders.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The building is fully accessible, and the team includes a SENDCo role and a safeguarding lead role. All staff have paediatric first-aid training. These describe the arrangements in place; the dated safeguarding judgement sits separately above.

Children who are still learning to use the toilet can attend. Families supply nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, spare clothing and prescribed creams, and children attending all day have a care plan for regular changes. Self-care is encouraged through help with dressing and undressing. Quiet areas also provide space for rest, sleep or relaxation when needed.

The My Smile Award brings dental care into familiar activities: children practise with a large model of teeth and a toothbrush, discuss dental visits and make wraps by choosing and assembling ingredients. The Healthy Child Healthy Workforce Award, presented by Central Bedfordshire Council, recognises work on children's and staff wellbeing, including movement, healthy eating and conversations about feelings. These activities make health something children can practise, rather than simply hear about.

Sessions and Attendance

Downside Pre-School is on Oakwood Avenue, Dunstable, LU5 4AS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. School holidays therefore need a separate care arrangement for families requiring year-round provision.

Morning sessions finish at 11.45am, with starts at 7.30am or 8.45am; afternoon sessions run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. A lunch session bridges them from 11.45am to 12.15pm. Flexible attendance can be agreed between the preschool and parents, and daily bookings have a two-hour minimum and a maximum of 6.5 hours.

For an earlier morning start, the minimum additional booking is 30 minutes, with 8.15am the latest early start. The morning finish remains 11.45am. Families should distinguish that early-start option from an extension at the other end of the day.

A waiting list operates during busy periods, and the preschool aims to accommodate siblings. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or an online contact form. Fees for private hours are payable weekly in advance and continue during short absences for illness or holidays.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, starting from the relevant funding term rather than immediately on a birthday, and up to 30 hours for eligible working families, including eligible two-year-olds. Delivery is term-time. Working-parent funding requires an eligibility code, which the preschool validates, and families must reconfirm eligibility every three months.

Lunch time can count towards funded hours; adding it beyond the funded entitlement incurs a charge. Parents provide packed lunches, including for funded attendance, while the preschool supplies drinking water and daily snacks; parents also supply the changing consumables described above. Current prices should come in the preschool's written quotation, with the fees and admissions page setting out the charge structure.

In January 2024, the preschool shared a site with St Augustine's Academy and Dunstable South Children's centre. Attendance here does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority's admissions process. School preparation includes practising independence through routines and play, with ideas shared for families to use at home.

• Term-time fit. Morning and afternoon sessions serve different routines, but the 3.15pm closing time and school-holiday closures matter for working families. Match the complete care arrangement to your working day.
• Teaching challenge. The January 2024 priorities concerned mathematical language and extending individual children's learning. During a visit, ask how staff now build those into child-chosen play.
• Early-start booking. Earlier mornings still end at 11.45am, and additional time beyond funded entitlement is charged. Use a visit or booking discussion to work through the intended days and lunch extension together.
• Language support. WellComm assessments lead to activities and regular reassessment. For a child with communication needs, ask how their plan, home activities and any specialist referral would be coordinated.

Downside suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon preschool, including those who benefit from an earlier morning start. Its connected rooms and garden support choice, while WellComm and practical oral-health activities give the day clear points of purpose. The Good judgement from January 2024 is balanced by specific teaching improvements to explore. The strongest fit is a family that values play, communication support and growing independence within a school-term routine.