All Saints Wise Owls

Tree climbing, rope swings and a mud kitchen give All Saints Wise Owls its outdoor character. This small preschool in All Saints, near Axminster, takes children aged two to four and has capacity for 15 children. Most of the day is spent outside, including in wet weather. For a child who enjoys movement and messy exploration, that is a meaningful part of the daily offer.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall, finding an effective curriculum but asking staff to plan adult-led learning more precisely for individual children. The balance matters: there was much to value in children's play, alongside a specific weakness in how some adult-directed activities extended their learning.

Wise Owls occupies the grounds of All Saints C of E Primary School but operates separately. It is a charity run with support from a parent committee, whose work includes fundraising. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during 38 term-time weeks each year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) frames learning through language, movement, relationships, literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. Key people plan around individual development, with daily preparation considering children's emotions, emerging skills and interests.

Making name letters in salt, mixing coloured water, squeezing pipettes and handling play dough give children practice with marks and small movements. Role play helps them revisit familiar experiences.

In January 2023, children made models from recycled materials, used scissors with adult support and persevered with construction problems. Sand-tray trucks and diggers prompted building and experiments with knocking structures down. A hidden-object guessing game exercised listening; sharing equipment and a tidy-up song supported cooperation and routines.

BSharp provides music sessions and Drama Tots brings regularly booked drama activities. Experiences arranged during the year also include yoga, gymnastics, coast guard visits and hatching eggs from a local farm, adding encounters with people and living things.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School provides practical learning in nature every Friday with Primary Forest School & Outdoor Education Ltd. Bug hunting, den building, whittling and small fires give this recurring session concrete substance.

Front and rear play areas contain a bug area and mud kitchen, with tree climbing, rope swings and daily access to bikes, trikes and ride-ons. Movement and sensory exploration are everyday experiences. Warmer, drier weather allows children to move between activities indoors and outside.

All-weather clothing is essential; named wellies and waterproofs can stay at preschool, which also holds spares. Cupine Embroidery supplies optional uniform. Everyday clothes suit messy play.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is organised around the individual child and family, with at least one introductory settling session required. A key person is part of that process, and families share information about their child before attendance begins. An All About Me sheet helps start that exchange; a named peg and tray provide familiar places for belongings.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to share observations, photographs and videos of children's development. Parents can comment and contribute examples from home. It gives families a way to add information that staff would otherwise miss, including interests and achievements outside preschool. Permission is sought before the journal is used.

Personal conversations remain part of communication. Families receive a detailed handover at collection from the key person or another staff member, and termly individual chats give more time to discuss learning. Tapestry records development rather than replacing general conversations or discussions about concerns.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and good support for children with SEND, including work with other professionals to address gaps in learning. Those findings belong to that visit. Current arrangements include designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles, while the deputy manager also holds the SENDCo role.

The inclusion policy sets out practical mechanisms: an access audit, collaboration with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and recognition of children's home languages and communication needs. Alternative communication formats, including sign language, are supported. The admissions policy also allows for an interpreter where needed, helping families take part in discussions about their child.

Snack operates as a café-style arrangement, so children can eat when ready rather than stopping their play together; choices include hummus, fruit, toast and crackers. At lunch, adults eat alongside children, who are supervised in small groups.

After lunch, children are supported to brush their own teeth for two minutes each day. Staff have training in the programme's hygiene procedures. That makes oral health a recurring routine rather than an occasional reminder.

Preparation for moving on includes sharing development records with the receiving setting or school. The key person prepares a summary covering achievements, languages and additional needs, with the parent's perspective included. Families see the summary before transfer, giving them a chance to contribute to the account of their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool opens from 8.45am until 3.15pm on weekdays and operates for 38 weeks during term time. Attendance patterns can be flexible to meet family needs, provided they preserve continuity for the children. The early afternoon finish and holiday closures are significant for families arranging care around work.

Admissions are handled by the manager or deputy. Families complete registration paperwork with a staff member before the start date. Waiting lists are ordered by birth date, with priority for funded children, including two-year-olds; a sibling already attending and proximity to the setting may also be considered. This is a booking rule, rather than an indication of present vacancies.

Getting There

The address is All Saints School, All Saints, Axminster, EX13 7LX, and the preschool occupies a building behind the school. Parking is in the Village Hall Carpark opposite the primary school.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07933 781 610 or through the contact route. Sharing school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place: families still need to make a school application through the local authority.

Funding and Paid Extras

All Early Years funding entitlements are accepted, within the preschool's term-time operation. Families supply funding information when booking and sign a Provider Agreement declaring the hours claimed across settings. Private childcare is charged by the hour, with different rates for two-year-olds and children aged three or four.

The charge structure includes a registration fee, refundable for funded children, a termly charge and a separate Forest School charge. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page sets out the payment terms.

Fees are invoiced monthly in advance and paid online. For additional holidays or absences outside school holidays, four weeks' notice qualifies families for a reduction while a payment remains due to retain the place. Illness is normally charged at the usual rate, with long-term illness discussed individually with the manager.

• Adult-led learning. January 2023's improvement point concerned planning that did not consistently extend individual children's learning. During a visit, ask for an example of how staff now choose and follow up an adult-led activity for your child's stage.
• Term-time organisation. The 8.45am to 3.15pm opening window runs across 38 weeks, and flexible attendance must preserve continuity. Consider how that calendar and finish time fit your family's working week and holidays.
• Outdoor days and settling. Wet-weather play, tree climbing and rope swings are central experiences, and at least one settling session is required. Use the appointment visit to discuss how your child will be introduced to outdoor activities and supported by their key person.
• Funding and the full cost. Funding sits alongside registration, termly and Forest School charges, with the registration fee refundable for funded children.

All Saints Wise Owls suits families seeking a small, outdoor-oriented preschool for children aged two to four. Forest School, music, drama and creative play give the day variety; key-person contact, Tapestry and settling sessions support parental involvement.

Its term-time calendar and afternoon finish suit consistent attendance or individually agreed flexible arrangements. The January 2023 weakness in adult-led planning remains a consideration alongside the appeal of outdoor exploration and participation in a parent-supported preschool.