Uplyme Pre-school CIO

Welly walks on King George’s field, a planting patch and a village-hall playroom give Uplyme Pre-school CIO a clear outdoor character. Children can move between indoor play and outdoor activities, with a covered patio and an all-weather playground extending the possibilities beyond fine days. This is a preschool built around shared space, play and its village surroundings.

Based at Uplyme Village Hall, the setting welcomes children aged two to four and has 30 places in total. At its 15 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall. The practical appeal is the combination of outdoor exploration, visiting activity providers and a key person who keeps track of each child’s development.

Morning and afternoon attendance are offered during term time. A committee of parents and community members manages the charity, taking responsibility for finances, employment and policies. Families can therefore contribute to how the preschool runs, as well as to their own child’s learning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning here: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, alongside experiences involving books, numbers, creativity and the world around them. It is the shared framework for early-years provision; Uplyme’s outdoor opportunities and visiting groups provide the concrete experiences within it.

A large, open playroom has spaces for construction, imaginative play, messy activities and quieter reading. Children choose activities themselves and also join work led by adults. That combination gives them opportunities to pursue an interest and to encounter something a practitioner has deliberately introduced. The free-flow arrangement connects the indoor and outdoor spaces rather than making outdoor play a separate destination.

In July 2024, children built shelters for their toys during a picnic-themed activity, then photographed what they had made with staff guidance. Construction and photography were linked: children could make something, look closely at it and decide how to capture it. Other experiences included manipulating dough with tools, cutting shapes and making marks with pens, giving small-hand control a practical purpose.

BSharp, from Lyme Regis, brings interactive singing and music sessions. Axminster Gymnastics provides activities involving balance and coordination. These are additions to the everyday play programme, with the broader enrichment offer bringing music, sport and gymnastics providers into the preschool each term. For children, that means opportunities to try activities with visiting adults as well as familiar staff.

Outdoor and Community Life

King George’s field is used regularly for welly walks, looking for insects and observing seasonal changes. These outings make the surrounding village part of the learning experience. A child can encounter the changing seasons directly, rather than only through an indoor activity or picture book.

Access to the local primary school’s forest school site adds a different outdoor resource. Uplyme has its own planting area there, which children help to tend. The concrete offer is gardening and contact with the natural environment: children participate in looking after plants as well as exploring outside.

Visits from lifeguards, fire station teams and police connect learning with people children may encounter beyond preschool.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person responsible for following their development and individual needs, and for keeping parents informed. Settling is planned with the family: staff and the key person work together with parents to decide how the child should make the transition into preschool. This makes the starting arrangement responsive to the child rather than a single prescribed routine.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, shares photographs and learning milestones with families. Regular parents’ evenings provide time to discuss development and what is happening at home. Staff are also available for conversations in the morning, so communication includes both a continuing digital record and direct discussion.

Parents can share interests and concerns with staff, and contribute through fundraising or committee work.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

For children needing additional support, the SEND Co-ordinator develops an individual education plan with the family. Plans are reviewed regularly with parents or carers and adjusted around the next stage of learning. This is a specific support mechanism, with family participation built into the process.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support successful, with staff working alongside other professionals and settings to help children progress. Current arrangements include a Safeguarding Officer role, safer recruitment procedures and a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy that parents can consult.

In July 2024, everyday independence included children preparing fruit with safety knives, pouring drinks and helping to clear away. These were small, useful tasks through which children could take responsibility for themselves and their surroundings. Snack time is a shared social occasion, with fruit and carrots among the foods offered.

Assessment summaries also form part of transitions, including the move to school. The emphasis is on understanding the child’s development and carrying that information forward, rather than presenting school preparation as an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Afternoon sessions are offered on Monday and Tuesday, from 1pm to 3.30pm, with a lunch period from noon to 1pm on each opening day. Thursday is closed.

Attendance is term time only. Starting with at least two sessions a week is recommended, rather than presented as an absolute requirement. Once a child has joined, families can request changes or additional hours each term, depending on availability.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email. Joining involves completing enrolment and funding paperwork. Children younger than two, and applicants who cannot yet be accommodated, enter the waiting list under the admissions policy.

Getting There

The address is Uplyme Village Hall, Lyme Road, Uplyme, DT7 3UY.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Working parent 30 hours funding, 2 year old funding for families accessing additional support, and Universal 15 hours funding. Attendance follows the term-time calendar; eligibility depends on the relevant entitlement. Families pay privately where funding does not cover their child’s attendance or where booked hours exceed their funded allocation.

Snacks carry a separate voluntary charge, alongside the items the preschool groups with them, including extra enrichment activities. This charge sits alongside childcare fees. The funding and fees page sets out the structure, and current prices come in the preschool’s written quotation.

Private fees remain payable during absence. Invoices are issued each half term and payment is due within 21 days. Families can pay by card, BACS or the government’s tax-free childcare scheme.

• Adult-led group activities. In July 2024, some groups were too large for every child to stay involved. Ask how group activities are now organised and adapted for children who lose interest.
• Clarity between staff. In July 2024, the purpose of planned activities was not always communicated clearly between leaders and practitioners. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how staff share each child’s next learning steps.
• The weekly timetable. Afternoon sessions run on Monday and Tuesday, while Thursday is closed and attendance is term time only. Families needing care across the working week or school holidays will need arrangements beyond this timetable.
• Lunch and personal supplies. The timetable includes a lunch period, while snacks have a separate voluntary charge. Before choosing a pattern that spans lunchtime, ask what lunch and non-food supplies your child should bring.

Uplyme suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or afternoon attendance, with outdoor exploration and village involvement forming a substantial part of the offer. King George’s field, the planting area and visiting music and gymnastics providers give children experiences beyond the hall’s shared play spaces.

The key-person arrangement, Tapestry and individual support plans give parents clear ways to follow and contribute to their child’s development. The balance to weigh is the restricted weekly timetable and the July 2024 weaknesses in organising adult-led activities and communicating their purpose. For families whose routines fit, this is a preschool with a recognisable community character and practical opportunities for children to play, explore and become more independent.