Aston Preschool

Village-hall play and a parent-led committee give Aston Preschool its character. Based at Aston Village Hall in Stevenage, it has capacity for 25 children, with a volunteer committee drawn from families whose children attend or have attended. That gives parents a practical way to contribute to the preschool as well as use it.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated Aston Preschool Good and found safeguarding effective. Children then explored their surroundings through community walks, handled tools and materials in the playroom, and used imaginative journeys to develop conversation. Those observations are a dated picture of daily life, rather than a description of today's timetable.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside Early Birds, a short session before the morning begins, and Lunch Club, an additional lunchtime booking. Term dates organise attendance around school terms and holidays.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences help children develop communication, physical skills and understanding of the world. Here, the settling policy also asks parents about children's interests and achievements, giving staff information they can use when planning their learning.

In November 2021, an imaginary North Pole journey brought conversation and discovery together. Children discussed packed lunches, described creatures encountered on the pretend flight and considered why warm clothing would be needed. The activity connected storytelling with questions about the world, giving children reasons to explain their ideas rather than simply answer factual questions.

Practical materials made smaller movements part of play at that time. Children picked up objects with tweezers, shaped dough and wound pipe cleaners around fir cones. These were concrete opportunities to practise handling and controlling objects. Story bags and props supported participation in songs and stories, while letter names and sounds were introduced when children were ready.

Mathematics also appeared within group routines in November 2021. Children identified shapes, counted their corners and sides, and discussed the differing lengths of a rectangle's sides. Discussing shapes gave mathematical language a practical use.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2021, community walks included visits to nearby allotments. Gardeners explained the vegetables they grew and showed children the tools they used; children watched plants change over time. This connected learning about growth with people and places beyond the playroom.

Family events remain part of the calendar. The Christmas Coffee morning is scheduled for 18 December 2026, and the Easter Coffee Morning for 25 March 2027, both welcoming families. These give parents occasions to take part in preschool life alongside their child's usual attendance.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with information about the individual child. Parents share dietary and medical needs, interests, achievements and anxieties, and children may bring a familiar object from home. That combination addresses both practical care and the emotional adjustment to spending time away from family.

Children join keyworker groups, giving them a particular member of staff to build a relationship with and giving parents a consistent contact. The settling procedure allows brief separations to lengthen gradually and introduces new families in stages. Parents can remain involved for as long as their child needs help settling.

In November 2021, staff used picture cards to help children express feelings and supported sharing and turn-taking. An online system also enabled families to exchange learning information and receive ideas for activities at home. These observations describe the arrangements at that date.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted identified a need to collect fuller information about children's existing knowledge and abilities before they started, so that activities could challenge them from the outset. The distinction matters: understanding care routines helps a child settle, while understanding existing skills helps staff decide what to teach next.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support has a defined planning process. Staff work with families and outside agencies, agree individual targets and review the support provided. Individual education plans are reviewed with parents every six weeks, creating a regular opportunity to consider progress and amend the plan.

The graduated approach moves through assessment, planning, putting support into practice and reviewing its effect. The key person and SENCO support the child through this process. For children moving to another setting, staff exchange information and discuss their needs with the receiving team, helping continuity of care rather than leaving the next setting to start afresh.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning Sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm; Afternoon Sessions run from 12.15pm to 3pm. Early Birds operates daily from 8.50am to 9.15am. The preschool closes on Thursday afternoons, a practical constraint for families planning a consistent weekly pattern.

Lunch Club runs from 12.15pm to 1.15pm and can be used once a child has settled, subject to availability. Additional sessions can also be purchased through a pay-as-you-go arrangement, allocated in order of request and subject to availability. This provides a specific route for occasional extra attendance alongside regular bookings.

Applications use a form submitted to the address given on it, followed by an email acknowledgement. Admissions criteria take account of living in Aston, a sibling attending at the proposed time and the date the application arrives. Up to four children below two and a half may be considered where Children's Services requests an exception; this is a conditional arrangement, rather than a general younger-child offer.

Getting There

The address is Aston Village Hall, New Park Lane, Aston, Stevenage, SG2 7ED. The preschool can be contacted on 07790 995175 or by email at preschoolaston@gmail.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can use 15 and 30 hour funding, and eligible children can also receive two-year funding. Private sessions are charged, with invoices issued half-termly and payment plans possible on request; current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

An administration charge accompanies the application and includes a branded book bag. It is not refundable if a family chooses not to take up the place, but is refunded if the preschool cannot offer a place under its admissions criteria. Uniform is required, with a T-shirt, sweatshirt or fleece forming the clothing options; the admissions and fees page explains the application and charging arrangements.

• Learning from the start. The November 2021 improvement point concerned understanding children's existing skills. At a visit, discuss how the initial information about your child now becomes a suitably challenging learning plan.
• Thursday attendance. Afternoon closure means the morning and afternoon pattern cannot be repeated across every weekday. Build that difference into your childcare arrangements.
• The full cost of attendance. Applications carry an administration charge and uniform is required. Ask which meals and non-food consumables families supply or pay for alongside funded and private sessions.
• Local admissions criteria. Aston residence and a sibling attending at the proposed time are among the admissions considerations. These are relevant to the application process, rather than a promise of a place.

Aston Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance within a village preschool, with Early Birds and Lunch Club providing additional booking options. Its keyworker groups and gradual settling arrangements give the transition from home a clear structure, while SEND planning includes regular family reviews. The Good judgement dates to November 2021; the improvement point concerned using children's starting knowledge to plan learning. Thursday afternoon closure is the practical detail to weigh against the family timetable.