Broadlands Pre-School Centre

Welly Walk Wednesday gives Broadlands Pre-School Centre a clear outdoor thread: preschool children explore the field and surrounding area through the seasons. Its purpose-built premises sit beside Burrows Field in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, with a garden for play and views towards Leckhampton Hill. The surroundings have a practical role in the children's day.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Broadlands Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside two clear improvement priorities from October 2022: more precise feedback for staff about their teaching, and a better selection of books to encourage children to use the reading area.

Broadlands has 26 places in total and is a community-based, non-profit preschool. Its attendance groups distinguish children turning three during the academic year from those turning four, with morning and full-day sessions during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes children's learning through games and play across different areas of learning. Here, children begin with time to choose activities: construction toys, painting and craft, sand play, small-world play and dressing up. This gives them several ways to pursue an idea, whether they want to build, make something or act out a story.

Afternoons also give substantial time to child-chosen play, while singing or a story brings the day to a close. The garden extends the choices outdoors. There is a book corner too, although in October 2022 its selection needed broadening because children were making less use of it than other activities.

Mathematics was woven into practical play in October 2022. Children used blocks and tape measures to compare heights and sizes, bringing mathematical language into conversations about people and objects. This was learning through something they could handle and test, rather than an isolated counting exercise.

Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for the Preschool group, whose children turn four within the academic year. These days have more structure, with an emphasis on confidence, independence and preparation for school. The Rising 3s group, children turning three within the academic year, joins mixed sessions on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Outdoor and Community Life

Welly Walk Wednesday takes preschool children onto the field and into the nearby area on Wednesday mornings, including in wet weather. The activity connects exploration with the natural world rather than keeping outdoor learning within the garden.

In October 2022, children collected feathers, leaves, acorns and conkers in the adjacent park, then used their finds to make animal pictures or creations. They discussed what they had discovered and compared its characteristics. Getting dressed for the walk also provided practice in managing coats, wellies and waterproof clothing independently.

Supafit visits on alternate Mondays and Tuesdays for physical-skills sessions using equipment and movement. That adds a recurring opportunity to practise physical skills alongside the garden and walks. In October 2022, parents also brought community experience into the setting, including visits by those working in the emergency services to explain how they help others.

Each child has a key worker who helps the family settle and remains a contact for questions. Ongoing assessment informs the child's next learning steps, with regular feedback to parents. This gives communication a clear point of contact and links it to what the child is learning.

In October 2022, staff gathered information about children's interests, preferences and existing abilities when they joined. Adults also modelled calm conversation, moving closer to speak with children and encouraging them to listen and take turns. These are concrete practices behind the settling arrangements, rather than a promise that every child will settle in the same way.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, with additional help arranged promptly and teaching adjusted to address gaps in learning.

All staff have first-aid and safeguarding training. Families can also consult the setting's policy document, which covers safeguarding, health and safety and complaints. These arrangements are separate from the dated safeguarding judgement above.

Food combines snacks supplied by Broadlands with a packed lunch brought from home for a full day. Snack and lunch times are social parts of the routine, giving children time to eat alongside their friends.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Burrows Field, Moorend Grove, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, GL53 0EY. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and full-day sessions from 9am to 3.30pm. Preschool children can attend either pattern on weekdays; Rising 3s attend on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with a full day dependent on a discussion about the individual child's suitability.

Attendance is term-time only. Broadlands closes during half-term breaks, inset days and bank holidays, so these patterns require a separate plan for holiday childcare.

Registration starts by emailing for a registration form, after which the setting confirms the family's choice of sessions. Telephone, email and a contact form provide enquiry routes.

Funding and Paid Extras

Broadlands offers up to 30 hours of Grant Funding alongside paid hours. Funded time is restricted to a maximum of six hours daily, between 9.30am and 3.30pm; attendance from 9am to 9.30am is charged separately. Families switching to a funded-only schedule beginning at 9.30am cannot add an earlier start on an occasional basis. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Monthly invoices include voluntary contributions in separate categories for snacks, non-food consumables and additional activities. Lunch comes from home; morning and afternoon snacks have a separate voluntary contribution. Consumables such as wipes, sun cream and nappy sacks likewise have a voluntary contribution, while families opting out or using a funded-only place provide the covered consumables themselves.

The activities contribution helps support physical-skills sessions, Sports Day, Christmas parties and Leavers parties. Access to activities does not depend on paying the contribution, although their continuation depends on being financially sustainable.

Getting There

Free parking is provided at the purpose-built premises beside Burrows Field. Broadlands describes community links with Leckhampton Primary School; attendance does not guarantee a school place, and families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Staff feedback and books. October 2022 improvement priorities concerned clearer teaching feedback and a more appealing book selection. On a visit, ask how staff development and the book corner have changed.
• Different days for different stages. Mondays and Wednesdays serve Preschool children only, while Rising 3s attend the mixed days. A younger child's full-day attendance also requires an individual suitability discussion; consider how those conditions fit your working week.
• Funded starts and contributions. Funded time begins at 9.30am, with no occasional early start after switching to a funded-only schedule. The separate voluntary contributions and parent-provided consumables are worth considering alongside the hours themselves.

Broadlands suits families seeking either a morning preschool pattern or a term-time full day, with days organised around children's stage of development. Welly Walk Wednesday, Supafit visits and a play-based routine give the offer recognisable substance, while a key worker provides continuity for parents.

The October 2022 Good judgement is a useful foundation, with specific improvement priorities to discuss rather than overlook. The practical fit is equally clear: school-holiday closures, age-group restrictions on attendance days and the later funded start all matter when choosing a weekly pattern.