Upottery Preschool CIO

Weekly Forest School, a Bug Rug for stories and a jungle-themed quiet room give Upottery Preschool CIO a recognisable character: outdoor exploration sits alongside places to read, talk and pause. This village preschool welcomes children from 18 months and has 20 places in total. Its main play space is open plan, with separate areas for creative work, books and snacks.

At its 30 April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding and found that knowledgeable teaching helped children make excellent progress. The detail behind that judgement matters: in April 2024, children sustained their attention during games, spoke confidently with adults and investigated questions prompted by the weather. Learning involved conversation and curiosity, as well as planned activities.

A committee of parents and guardians runs the preschool. Families can therefore contribute to its organisation as well as their own child's experience.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday interactions are opportunities to build language, relationships and practical skills. In April 2024, communication, emotional development and physical skills were central to the curriculum. Staff used children's interests to shape activities, giving a child's question or enthusiasm a place in the learning rather than treating it as a distraction.

Board games offered a concrete example. In April 2024, staff used them to practise sharing turns and introduce vocabulary, including words for animals from different habitats. Children could concentrate on the game while adults explored what they understood. Watching rain collect in a watering can also prompted questions about wind and weather. These examples show learning arising from familiar experiences, with adults extending the conversation.

Inside, the Bug Rug provides a place for shared stories, while art materials, construction toys and small-world play give children different ways to develop an idea. A Smart Screen adds another resource. The jungle-themed quiet room gives the building a quieter space alongside its busy open-plan play area; miniature toilets are a practical physical detail for young children.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds outdoor learning through wildlife exploration, environmental care and supervised work with tools and fire safety. Children have weekly access to the grounds of Upottery Primary School, where the Forest School site includes a mud kitchen and areas for building dens and making fires. Returning to an interest is part of the approach, so an outdoor experience can be revisited and developed rather than finished in a single session.

Weather is part of that experience. Forest School continues in different conditions, with very high winds bringing children back into the preschool building for safety. This is a useful distinction for families who want outdoor learning to be a regular part of the week.

Everyday outdoor play has its own spaces. There are two areas: a tarmac surface with a wooden playhouse, and grass with wooden equipment, a sandpit, bird feeding and planting areas. Planters on the tarmac also introduce plant growth and care. Children can explore pretend play, digging and growing, alongside the separate Forest School experience.

Relationships and Communication

In April 2024, staff knew children's interests well and exchanged information with parents about experiences and achievements at home. They then used that knowledge in activities. For families, the important mechanism is the connection between home and preschool: information shared by a parent could influence what a child explored next.

Children also practised relationships through daily routines. In April 2024, they waited for turns in games, followed boundaries and interacted confidently with adults and other children. Current activities reinforce listening, shared decisions and understanding how behaviour affects others. Families from different faiths are encouraged to share their experiences and festivals, giving children's conversations a connection to family life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities exceptional, with staff working alongside parents and professionals to select strategies and resources. That is a dated assessment, supported by a specific account of collaboration rather than a general promise of inclusion.

The current staff structure includes a Designated Safeguarding Officer, a deputy safeguarding role and a Deputy SENCO. Staff training includes first aid, outdoor first aid, food hygiene and allergy awareness. These are practical arrangements and areas of training; families with individual care needs can use the visit discussion to explore how they apply to their child.

In April 2024, staff also discussed children's development with the school and other local providers. Sharing next steps supported continuity as children moved towards primary education.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Upottery Primary School, Upottery, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9QT. In April 2024, the preschool operated on weekdays during school terms, with sessions running from 9am to 3.30pm. Those are its inspection-time arrangements and provide a dated reference for families planning care around the school day.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone on 01404 861705. The preschool welcomes children from 18 months, so its current entry age includes younger children than those attending at the April 2024 visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and paid hours are offered. The funding arrangements include 15 hours for children aged three and over from the term following their third birthday, and potential 30-hour funding for eligible working parents from the term after a child reaches nine months until school starts. Funding may also be available for children aged two to three where families have a lower income or receive certain benefits; these entitlement descriptions do not change the preschool's entry age.

Unfunded sessions and hours beyond a child's funding are charged privately. Invoices are issued at the start of each half term for payment in advance, with alternative payment plans possible by prior agreement. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; its funding and fees page explains the charge structure.

Snacks sit outside funded provision: a voluntary half-term contribution covers additional items, including up to two healthy snacks daily. The voluntary nature of that contribution matters when comparing the cost of attendance.

The preschool occupies its own building on the primary school site. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, and families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Attendance planning. The April 2024 pattern was term-time weekday sessions from 9am to 3.30pm. At a visit, discuss how your preferred days and hours fit the preschool's current arrangements.
• Outdoor expectations. Weekly Forest School includes tools, fire safety and learning in different weather conditions. Discuss clothing and how these experiences are adapted for your child's age and confidence.
• Starting at 18 months. The preschool now welcomes children from this age, while the April 2024 visit covered children aged two to four. Ask how settling, rest and personal care work for the youngest children in the shared environment.
• Parent participation. Parents are invited to the September Annual General Meeting, and the committee meets each half term. This offers a practical route to involvement; consider whether committee work or fundraising appeals to your family.

Upottery Preschool CIO suits families seeking a village preschool with regular outdoor learning, a shared play environment and opportunities for parents to participate in its running. The April 2024 assessment gives strong support to its teaching and care, while the current Forest School offer gives the day a clear outdoor dimension. Families planning around school terms should weigh the dated attendance pattern alongside their own childcare needs.