Lapal Grange Preschool

Independence takes a practical form at Lapal Grange Preschool: children practise pouring drinks, managing their belongings and clearing their lunch plates. The setting operates from Howley Grange Scout Headquarters in Halesowen, with a large indoor play space and an enclosed grass garden.

At its July 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and reported that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress with support. Two improvement points matter for families: making group activities work better for the youngest participants and giving quieter children more opportunities to speak. Those findings concern the provision at that time, before the newer baby facilities became part of the offer.

There are 44 places in total. The current age offer extends from nine months to four years, alongside morning and afternoon attendance during term time. Home visits and regular communication give families a substantial role in children's early experiences here.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room Facilities include cots, quiet spaces, a feeding area and soft floor mats, with sensory toys and tactile books supporting early exploration. A private changing station and temperature-controlled surroundings complete the room's practical equipment.

For preschool children, the indoor learning space is organised into defined activity areas, while the enclosed grass garden provides room for outdoor play. The outdoor space also has mature trees, fencing and play equipment.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the common early-years framework: children learn through play, with independent exploration and adult-guided activities supporting their development. Here, planning takes account of children's interests, what staff observe and events in the wider world. The curriculum information gives a useful example: activities can be adapted to help children practise cutting paper at different stages of development. The task stays recognisable while the support changes.

Independence is also built into preschool routines. Children choose snacks, attempt to pour their drinks into open cups and return used plates to a trolley. Changing footwear provides another chance to practise self-care, including when putting on wellies or taking part in yoga and relaxation activities. These are small tasks with a clear purpose: children get repeated opportunities to manage ordinary needs before moving on to school.

In July 2024, books provided starting points for learning, and staff adjusted activities in response to children's interests. Children practised using scissors, made marks on chalkboards and explored writing at a table. A story about emotions prompted discussion, while pretend medical play introduced vocabulary associated with appointments and treatment. These examples show how physical skills, language and imaginative play could connect within the same curriculum.

PE adds a separate activity to the timetable. An external coach runs sessions on Wednesday and Thursday mornings; participation is optional and carries an additional charge.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden supports active play. In July 2024, children tackled an obstacle course assembled from stepping stones, planks and crates. It offered a physical challenge using familiar objects, with children practising movement and balance as they worked their way through it.

Howley Grange Scout Headquarters also places the preschool within shared community premises. Collaboration includes the scouts and WASPS, the after-school club. This is a community connection, rather than a promise of onward childcare or a school place.

Family events include an annual summer sports day and Preschool Graduation. Christmas Breakfast, Craft Mornings and an Easter Parade also feature in the calendar. These occasions give parents and wider family opportunities to participate in preschool life beyond progress discussions.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts at home. Once the registration fee has been received, a Home Visit brings two members of staff to meet the child in familiar surroundings. They gather information for the All About Me form, allowing family knowledge to inform the child's start.

Tapestry, the password-protected online learning journal, carries photographs, observations and comments. Parents can contribute their own photographs, videos and accounts of experiences outside preschool, and home challenges connect family activities with children's development.

Written progress summaries are sent twice a year, with completion planned for autumn and summer. A parents' evening provides time with the child's key person, while a weekly email covers topics, activities and practical information. Problems or injuries during the day are communicated at collection.

In July 2024, key persons worked with their assigned children in small groups, and a nurture group supported communication and language. However, whole-group activities did not consistently engage the youngest children fully. Quieter participants also needed more deliberate opportunities to contribute. Small-group relationships and larger-group participation therefore deserve separate attention when considering the preschool day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A designated SENCO coordinates additional-needs support, with links to Dudley Early Years Services. Children with a medical condition or physical disability have a care plan prepared before starting, supported by the manager and SENCO. This gives families a defined process for discussing care requirements rather than relying solely on informal conversations.

In July 2024, staff gathered vocabulary from children's home languages and invited parents to record familiar phrases to ease settling. Referrals to external agencies were made when additional support was needed. These were practical mechanisms for responding to individual circumstances, alongside the key-person relationship.

Staff receive training in child protection, first aid and food hygiene, with further courses available through Dudley MBC and in-service training. The baby facilities provide cots and quiet zones for rest, while older children's routines include supported handwashing and toileting. Training, equipment and daily habits each play a different part in care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Howley Grange Scout Headquarters, Bournebrook Crescent, Halesowen, B62 0HZ. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. The term-time day runs from 9am to 3pm, giving families a choice between the day and shorter attendance patterns.

The preschool operates for 39 weeks. Its funded entitlement covers 38 weeks, and families taking a place commit to paying for up to one additional week each year, depending on opening dates, with the charge spread over 11 months. This distinction matters even for families using funded hours: term-time attendance and funded coverage are separate arrangements.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Children are accepted in order of application. The joining process includes an initial tour, identification before the viewing, paperwork and a registration fee before the Home Visit is arranged.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes 30 hours for eligible working families with two-year-olds and 15 hours through Dudley's Time for Twos scheme for eligible families. For older preschool children, the universal entitlement is 15 hours from the term after the third birthday, with 30 hours for eligible families. Funding is delivered during term time; additional sessions beyond a child's entitlement are privately payable.

Privately paid morning sessions include breakfast or a morning snack and lunch, while afternoon sessions include a snack; food is charged separately on funded sessions. Sun care is covered by the separately charged registration fee, which also includes a bookbag, a sun hat and the Home Visit.

Optional PE is charged separately. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation, with the funding and fees information explaining how session, food and additional-week charges fit together. Families unable to meet these charges can discuss other options with the management team.

• The youngest children's experience. The July 2024 improvement points concerned younger children's participation and quieter children's speaking opportunities. During a visit, ask how group activities are adapted across the current age range, including babies.
• Funded hours and the extra week. Attendance spans 39 weeks, while funded hours cover 38; food, registration and optional PE have separate charges. A written quotation should distinguish each category and the additional-week commitment.
• A start built around the family. Joining includes a Home Visit and an All About Me form. Use the initial tour to discuss how home routines and any care plan will shape settling, feeding and rest.

Lapal Grange suits families seeking term-time mornings, afternoons or a day ending at 3pm, with practical independence woven into preschool routines. Home visits, Tapestry and scheduled progress discussions give parents several ways to contribute. The baby facilities broaden the age offer, while the July 2024 findings leave a clear decision point: how well activities now engage the youngest and least vocal children.