The Caterpillar Club

A purpose-built interior, outdoor play in all weathers and a close connection with Ferndown First School give The Caterpillar Club a clear preschool identity. This parent-led charity serves children from age 2 until they begin Reception, with capacity for 22 children in total. Its setting within the school grounds makes preparation for the next stage a concrete part of the experience.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding, finding effective safeguarding and strong support for children’s communication, emotional wellbeing and learning. The detail matters more than the label: visual aids supported communication, practical tasks encouraged independence, and outdoor construction gave children problems to solve together.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon, lunch-inclusive and whole-day options. That gives families several ways to use the preschool day rather than a single attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage framework shapes the curriculum: children learn through play, with activities supporting their communication, physical development, relationships and understanding of the world. Here, that includes messy activities and outdoor play, so practical clothing matters as much as a bag of spare clothes.

In March 2025, practitioners brought their key groups together for planned activities that encouraged children to explain their views and think through ideas. They extended existing knowledge rather than simply moving children through a sequence of tasks. For parents, this gives substance to the curriculum: conversation and problem-solving sit alongside play.

The same visit captured everyday independence in action. Children practised putting on their coats themselves, while adults helped them recognise the satisfaction of succeeding. These small achievements connect physical skills with confidence and an understanding of feelings.

Outdoor and Community Life

The premises have an interior designed for young children and an outdoor play area for under-fives. Children play outside whatever the weather, and a coat is essential. Clothes that children can manage themselves also support independence when preparing for outdoor play or using the toilet.

In March 2025, the outdoor sensory area gave children materials to investigate and combine. One construction activity involved a mixing truck, sand and water, with children adjusting their mixture to build a house. The useful detail is the experimentation: they had to test ideas, work alongside others and persist when the task needed another attempt.

Community visitors also contributed to learning at that time. Librarians, paramedics, police and firefighters had visited, and families shared information about their work and how they helped others. Children then brought those experiences into pretend play, connecting unfamiliar jobs with something they could explore for themselves.

Membership of the Pre-school Learning Alliance adds an organisational connection beyond the school site. It is a professional body supporting preschools in their care of children, rather than a separate programme children attend.

Relationships and Communication

Settling can include a parent staying for as long as they wish, with encouragement to let the child experience some of the session independently. Staff telephone parents if a child struggles to settle. That creates room for a gradual start while giving families a clear response if separation proves difficult.

Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s development files. In March 2025, children had relationships with adults across the setting as well as their key person, and staff used visual aids when spoken communication was harder. Those observations give a practical picture of how adults helped children participate.

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified learning gaps promptly, arranged support quickly and worked with families and other professionals to maintain continuity of care. This is a dated finding about the support children received, grounded in staff discussion and assessment rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Children can attend before toilet training. Staff change nappies and pull-ups, while parents supply replacements, wipes and other changing items; toilet training is approached jointly when the child and family are ready. This removes a developmental milestone as a condition of starting preschool.

Water or milk and a healthy snack are provided during the morning or afternoon. Children who are hesitant about food are encouraged to try something new.

School preparation had practical elements in March 2025: children explored uniform and visited school grounds to become familiar with their next surroundings. These experiences address the everyday changes involved in starting school, rather than treating readiness only as an academic task.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Ferndown First School, Mountbatten Drive, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9FB. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during each full week of term time.

A morning session runs from 8.30am to 11.30am, or until 12.30pm with lunch. Afternoon attendance runs from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, with a lunch-inclusive option starting at 11.30am. The whole-day option runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm. The lunch-inclusive choices therefore extend either side of the shorter sessions, which may help families fit attendance around their own day.

Applications join a waiting list in the order received, with allocation as places arise. Attendance frequency is generally chosen around family needs; the suggested session pattern is advice rather than a stated minimum. Contact is by telephone, email or post.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds from the first full term after their third birthday, up to 30 hours for eligible working parents, and funding for eligible two-year-olds. Attendance follows the term-time calendar. Private paid attendance is also offered, and current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Parents provide nappies, pull-ups and wipes when needed. A registration charge applies only to privately paying children under 3; grant-funded children are exempt. Fees remain payable for holidays and sickness, so missed attendance still has a cost implication.

The preschool operates in Ferndown First School’s grounds and describes a close affiliation with the school. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• The term-time calendar. Opening follows full weeks of term time, with the day ending at 3.30pm. Families needing care beyond that calendar or time should factor this into their decision.
• Settling and toileting. Parents can stay during settling, and children need not be toilet trained. At a visit, how would staff combine separation support with your child’s current changing or toilet-training routine?
• Application order. The waiting list follows the date applications arrive. This is the relevant booking rule, rather than a promise about when a child can start.

The Caterpillar Club suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, lunch-inclusive attendance or a whole preschool day within a term-time calendar. Its parent committee, practical approach to independence and school-ground setting give it a recognisable character. The March 2025 findings provide strong grounds for confidence in the education and care assessed then, while the shorter day and term-time operation remain the main practical boundaries.