Danbury Pre-School at St John's

A teabag mixed with mud, woodland visits and conversations about honey give Danbury Pre-School at St John's a recognisable character: learning starts with children's curiosity and extends into the local community. These were features of its April 2025 provision.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) received good support. It has capacity for 26 children, with a current age range of 24 to 60 months.

In April 2025, activities developed from children's existing knowledge and interests. The teabag experiment let children investigate what changed as they added water to mud. Staff gave children time to pursue their interests.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the April 2025 examples included learning through play, conversation and practical tasks. Stories and pretend play helped extend vocabulary, while staff combined new words with signing and gestures. That gave children different ways to take part in communication.

Regular outings included forestry activities in woodland and visits to a beekeeper, where children learned about honey. Emergency-service visitors provided another connection with the community. These experiences brought real people and places into children's learning.

In April 2025, key persons used their knowledge of children's interests and next steps to plan activities. Children were encouraged to resolve disagreements, with adults helping them consider how another child felt. The emphasis was on developing independence while keeping adult support within reach.

Parents' feedback at that time highlighted help with settling and communication about care and learning. For children with SEND, staff identified individual requirements, drew on targeted training and used additional funding to shape support.

Snack time also involved practical independence: children prepared fruit and vegetables with suitable knives, counted breadsticks and poured milk. Discussions included why a food could suit one child but not another.

The pre-school's address is St. Johns C of E Primary School, Little Baddow Road, Danbury, CHELMSFORD CM3 4NS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure in school holidays.

In April 2025, pre-school sessions ran from 9am to 3pm. Breakfast club ran from 7.30am to 8.45am, and after-school club from 3.20pm to 6pm. These were separate attendance windows, rather than one continuous pre-school session.

Funded early education was provided for eligible children in April 2025. Attendance at the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place at the school; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• SEND transition to school. In April 2025, reports for children with SEND were sometimes delayed, weakening preparation for school. Ask how transition paperwork and support are now coordinated.
• Large-group learning. Planning in April 2025 did not consistently account for individual children's needs during group activities. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how these sessions are adapted.
• Term-time attendance. The pre-school closes during school holidays. This matters for families whose childcare needs continue throughout the year.

Danbury's April 2025 provision combined child-led exploration, community experiences and practical independence. It suits families seeking term-time pre-school care, with breakfast and after-school club patterns also documented at that visit. The two improvement priorities deserve attention: adapting group learning and coordinating SEND transitions. Both affect how well an individual child's day and move to school are planned.