Fontmell Magna Under Fives

Forest School during preschool sessions and a travelling dog companion give Fontmell Magna Under Fives two clear points of character: learning outdoors and helping children manage separation from home. This charity-run preschool in Fontmell Magna has a committee drawn from parents and staff. Families can take part in its organisation as well as its daily life.

At its 3 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding across all assessed areas. The current setting has 32 places in total, and its preschool caters for children aged 2 to 4. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside breakfast and afterschool clubs, giving families several ways to arrange attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play provides opportunities to develop communication, explore ideas and practise everyday skills. Learning through play is also the preschool's stated approach. In November 2022, staff used children's interests to shape and extend activities.

In November 2022, children investigated dough with natural materials, including leaves, flowers and pumpkins. An interest in pumpkins bearing numbers became an opportunity to recognise numerals and arrange them in sequence. These examples show how staff connected practical exploration with early mathematical ideas, keeping the activity close to what had caught children's attention.

Other November 2022 activities brought different demands. Building a tower together required children to coordinate their ideas; experimenting with liquid in differently sized bottles gave them something to investigate through pouring. Children also washed up after snacks. Learning therefore included both open-ended exploration and small responsibilities within the day.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School runs within preschool sessions and gives children opportunities to learn about nature in an outdoor setting. It is part of the session itself, rather than a separate attendance pattern. For families who value time outside, this is a concrete part of the preschool's offer.

In November 2022, the outdoor provision included a forest area and an equipped play space. Children assembled twig figures using secateurs with guidance, arranged branches into a pyramid and learnt about safe boundaries around the firepit. A handwashing station in the forest area supported outdoor snacks. These physical details matter: outdoor learning involved tools, construction and practical routines as well as exploring nature.

Buddy the dog supports children who find separation from their family difficult. The companion goes home with a bag and journal, and families record its adventures before children share them back at preschool. This creates a familiar subject connecting home with the setting, giving a child something personal to talk about when they return.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, praised support for families and reported that staff helped children with language delays catch up quickly. During that month, staff used walkie-talkies to stay in contact, while family support included access to surplus supermarket food, ideas for packed lunches and a book-sharing scheme encouraging reading at home.

Current safeguarding arrangements include designated lead and deputy lead roles, alongside staff clearance checks. These are arrangements families can discuss alongside the practical support offered through Buddy the dog. The two serve different purposes: safeguarding establishes responsibilities, while the companion helps connect a child's experiences at home and preschool.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Blandfords Farmhouse, West Street, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, SP7 0PF. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions from 11.45am to 2.45pm. Preschool sessions are charged on an hourly basis, allowing the morning and afternoon patterns to be considered separately when planning attendance.

Breakfast club runs from 7.45am to 8.45am; afterschool club runs from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. These extend the timetable around the preschool sessions. The preschool follows a term-time pattern, so families planning care around work need to account for school holiday periods as well as their chosen session.

Parents are asked not to leave children more than five minutes before or after the start of each session. Telephone and email provide the contact routes, and a registration form is provided. The session timetable is the useful starting point for deciding which part of the day fits family routines.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for children aged 2, 3 and 4, and private hours are also offered. Funding applications require a form; participation in funding does not itself establish an individual child's eligibility.

A morning snack and drink carry a separate, non-compulsory charge; children attending afternoons bring lunch from home in a labelled lunch box. Lunches should include at least two pieces of fruit or vegetables, and the preschool asks families to exclude nuts, sweets and chocolate.

There is also a non-compulsory daily charge covering resources and additional activities. This is separate from the snack charge, so families can distinguish food from the contribution towards activities when considering the attendance costs.

• Term-time timetable. Morning and afternoon preschool sessions are supported by breakfast and afterschool clubs, but the setting follows school terms. Consider how that pattern fits the care your family needs during holidays.
• Separation support. Buddy the dog links home experiences with preschool conversation. During a visit, ask how the companion would fit into your child's settling arrangements, especially if leaving a parent is difficult.
• Packed lunches and allergies. Afternoon children bring their own lunch, and the preschool requests no nuts, chocolate or sweets. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice, including the morning snack.

Fontmell Magna Under Fives suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, with breakfast and afterschool clubs extending the timetable. Forest School brings nature into the session, while Buddy the dog gives settling support a practical connection with home.

The Outstanding judgement belongs to November 2022. Its detailed examples of construction, outdoor tool use and everyday responsibilities give substance to that assessment. For families comfortable with term-time attendance and providing an afternoon lunch, this is a preschool with clear practical arrangements and recognisable ways of engaging children.