Stower Vale Pre-School

A story house, raised planting beds and repeated visits to a forest area give Stower Vale Pre-School a clear outdoor identity. This rural charity is run by a parent committee and shares the Woodville school site with Stower Provost Community School, near Gillingham. It has 21 places in total and accepts children after their second birthday. The pre-school remains independent of the neighbouring school.

At its 24 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, alongside early mathematics, literacy and creative activities. Here, adult-led activities alternate with children's own choices. Helping with snacks, tidying resources and choosing what to play with make independence part of ordinary routines rather than a separate lesson.

Language work has a concrete structure. The WellComm toolkit is used to assess every child, identify possible speech and language needs and guide activities to support communication. Daily songs, rhymes and stories give children repeated opportunities to listen and speak. For children ready for it, Read, Write Inc. introduces memory cues, recognising letters and forming them correctly.

Creative and physical learning are equally tangible. Children can reach drawing and modelling materials independently, experiment with textiles and colour, and use imaginative play to develop their ideas. Yoga, dance and obstacle courses add different kinds of movement to outdoor play. Construction resources include pipes, large bricks, Lego and loose parts, giving mathematical language about shape and size something practical to attach to.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that learning followed children's interests and prepared them for school, but identified missed opportunities for counting during play and inconsistent help with individual next steps. Examples included number work during sand and water play, and showing children how to use scissors.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest Learning adds hands-on exploration of nature, with den-making, investigating minibeasts and art using natural materials. The facilities include access to the school field and play trail, with numerous visits to the forest area each week. Bug hotels, nature hunts and learning about natural cycles connect outdoor activity with understanding living things.

Closer to the building, the enclosed outdoor space contains roofed decking, a wooden climbing frame and a story house. Bark and grass provide different surfaces for play, while raised beds support planting.

Participation in a local primary school's Eco Club brings another route into gardening: children plant and care for growing things. Visits from chickens and tortoises introduce care for animals, while police, road safety teams and vets help explain jobs in the community. Regular walks explore seasonal changes.

Inside, a purpose-built building includes a large area for messy activities, a quieter corner and space for role play. A sheltered wooden extension provides room for coats, hats and wellington boots.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2024, staff knew children well and developed close relationships that helped them settle into their day. Children shared resources, took turns and followed familiar rules. Stories also gave them a way to discuss feelings, connecting emotions in fictional characters with their own experiences. Communication between staff and parents supported the exchange of information about each child.

Families can take an active role in the organisation. An elected parent committee runs the charity, and parents are encouraged to attend meetings, contribute ideas and help with fundraising. Members drawn from the primary school's teaching staff and governing body also participate.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO coordinates access to additional-needs advice and support; deputy safeguarding lead roles also exist. The nursery describes a graduated process of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing it. Meetings bring parents together with the key person, SENCO and playleader, and individual plans can be developed where needed.

For children learning English alongside another language, staff work with parents and can learn useful phrases from the child's home language. Level access and accessible toilets support physical access to the setting. There are also children's toilets and facilities for nappy changing, while learning routines include support with dressing, toileting and understanding oral health.

Children bring packed lunches for Lunch Club, and snacks include fruit, vegetables and milk. The snack menu displays allergens, and the food policy provides for discussions with parents about dietary needs and allergies; snacks carry a separate charge or voluntary contribution, while lunch remains the family's responsibility.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Woodville Stour Provost, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5LX. The morning timetable begins at 9am, and the pre-school day ends at 3pm. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance are offered, with a minimum booking of two sessions each week. The main pre-school follows school terms.

After School Club accepts children from age two, including primary-school children up to age 11, and runs after the school and pre-school day until 6pm. Bookings are made by the hour and require at least one day's notice; drop-in attendance is not accepted. School staff bring school-age children across, including after other school clubs when this has been arranged.

Holiday Club operates Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 3pm, for four weeks in August. It accepts pre-school children and primary-school children up to age 11, with activities including cooking, sport, gardening and crafts. The separate Baby and Toddler Group meets in the school hall on Wednesdays, 9am to 11.30am during term time, for parents or carers with children aged zero to four.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01747 839942. The admissions waiting-list rule gives priority according to the descending date on which forms were returned. Fees for booked sessions are paid ahead of each half-term, with weekly advance payments possible by arrangement. Withdrawal requires four weeks' notice, with half-term fees payable instead if notice is not given.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes up to 15 hours weekly from the term after a child's third birthday, with 30 hours for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Eligible two-year-olds can receive 15 hours from the term after turning two, and funding is also accepted for two-year-olds from eligible working families. The universal entitlement is delivered across 38 weeks, aligned with primary-school terms; funding eligibility does not change the pre-school's starting age.

Private hours are charged separately. Parents supply lunch, while snacks have a separate charge with an option to provide a snack instead. A daily voluntary consumable contribution covers food and non-food items such as cleaning supplies and other resources; families who decline it are asked to follow the packed-lunch guidance. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The car park is shared with Stower Provost Community School and has limited space. Rows immediately in front of the school are reserved for teaching staff, and the coach area beside the side gate must remain clear.

The pre-school describes close links with Stower Provost Community School, including regular Reception visits for planned activities. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority.

• Purposeful support during play. Counting opportunities and individual next steps were the October 2024 improvement priorities. On a visit, ask how staff now build number work into play and help children practise skills such as using scissors.
• Several attendance patterns, separate booking rules. Regular attendance requires two sessions weekly, while After School Club needs advance booking and does not accept drop-ins. Discuss how the morning, afternoon or all-day pattern would connect with any after-school care your family needs.
• Outdoor time is substantial. Forest visits, the climbing frame and planting beds make outdoor learning a strong part of the offer. Ask what clothing and practical preparation your child will need for those activities.
• Lunch and additional contributions. Lunch comes from home, and snacks and consumables have separate arrangements, including a voluntary daily contribution. Families managing allergies should confirm current food handling and snack practice before joining.

Stower Vale suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school sessions as well as those combining all-day attendance with after-school care. Forest Learning, the story house and gardening through Eco Club give the outdoor offer substance, while WellComm and Read, Write Inc. add specific tools for communication and early literacy.

Balance that appeal against the October 2024 priorities for counting and targeted support.