Martlesham Preschool

Weekly ballet, gymnastics in a school hall and outdoor play with a mud kitchen give Martlesham Preschool a character that reaches beyond its large playroom. Based at Gorseland Primary School in Martlesham Heath, it combines opportunities for movement with books, conversation and practical exploration. Children can follow an interest indoors, then take their play into the garden. That freedom matters.

Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding on 25 April 2025, finding exceptionally effective teaching and a carefully planned curriculum. It has capacity for 30 children, and accepts children from age 2 until school age. This is preschool provision rather than baby care, with activities and routines shaped around growing independence.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions sit alongside extensions to the day. The main provision runs during term time, with a holiday club on selected dates offering a separate option for families who need some holiday care.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning across seven areas of development: in everyday terms, children learn through play, conversation and activities matched to their needs and interests. A key person helps tailor that learning to each child. Ballet, gymnastics and forest school sessions add particular experiences alongside this shared early-years framework.

The large playroom accommodates construction, creative activities, role play and messy exploration, while a cosy book area offers a quieter choice.

Circle time brings talking, singing and signing into the morning routine. Free play follows, both outdoors and inside, with group time before lunch and singing and stories towards the end of the afternoon. Children also help put things away. The rhythm gives them opportunities to choose their play while becoming familiar with shared responsibilities.

In April 2025, books were used for much more than listening to a story. Children handled pages, discussed pictures and acted out a bear hunt with props. Questions encouraged them to explain their ideas. In another activity, mint, limes and tea leaves became ingredients for experimenting with water and learning new vocabulary. Concrete materials gave the conversation a purpose.

Counting was similarly practical in April 2025. Children arranged candles on play-dough cakes in a line to help keep track of them. The useful detail is the method: staff helped children find a way to solve the problem, rather than simply supplying an answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden and covered paved area support free-flow outdoor play. The mud kitchen, water and sand activities, ride-on toys and reading nook give children several reasons to spend time outside. Outdoor play includes quieter interests as well as movement; it is not confined to running about.

Weekly ballet introduces dance, while gymnastics takes place fortnightly in the hall at Gorseland Primary School. Children also attend Birchwood Primary School for forest school sessions, an outdoor learning approach. Local walks and wooded areas provide further opportunities for exploration, with staff aiming to take children out regularly.

In April 2025, children tackled garden obstacle courses and took part in yoga involving balance and stretching. Community visits included woods, a bakery and a church. At lunchtime, recycling symbols on packaging became a subject for discussion, and children talked about exchanging food waste for eggs when visiting chickens. These examples connect physical activity and learning about the surrounding world with ordinary parts of the day.

Relationships and Communication

The key person system links individual learning with a consistent staff relationship. Tapestry, an online learning journal, lets parents and key people share children's development. Parent consultations and end-of-year reports provide additional points for discussing learning, so communication has more than one format.

In April 2025, key people gently helped children who struggled with separating from their parents. Home visits, both before attendance and during children's time at preschool, helped staff understand family circumstances and individual needs.

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found highly effective support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, with detailed plans reviewed alongside parents, and judged safeguarding arrangements effective.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO and deputy SENCO provide points of contact for developmental concerns. Staff use Wellcomm assessments and Makaton, alongside a sign of the week that children can share at home. Signing therefore forms part of shared activity as well as support for individual children.

Outside agencies contribute strategies and activities where additional support is needed, with parents involved and their consent obtained. All staff receive safeguarding and food-hygiene training.

Children needing nappies bring their own nappies and wipes. Families also supply named suncream if their child cannot use the preschool's. Spare clothes, waterproof clothing and wellies support the wet and messy play that features in the day; preparing for that makes it easier for children to take part comfortably.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Gorseland Primary School, Deben Avenue, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 3QR. Term-time opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Within that window, the morning session runs from 9am to noon, the afternoon from noon to 3pm, and the full-day session from 9am to 3pm.

The lunch session runs from noon to 1pm. Breakfast Club covers 8am to 9am, while Late Club runs from 3pm to 4pm. Shorter extensions are also offered: Early Tag On from 8.30am to 9am and Late Tag On from 3pm to 3.30pm. The distinction matters when planning work: the full-day session ends before the preschool's closing time.

Holiday Club runs from 8am to 4pm on selected holiday dates, rather than throughout every school holiday. It accepts children aged 2 to 5, up to 31 August following their fifth birthday, including children who do not attend the preschool. Families may book a single club date or several; bookings are allocated in order of application, and payment secures a payable booking. Children bring a packed lunch and drinks bottle.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone. The preschool shares a school site, but attending does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both funded and privately paid childcare are offered. Funding options include the universal 15-hour entitlement from the term after a child's third birthday, support for eligible two-year-olds and up to 30 hours for eligible working families.

Funded hours can be used across the opening day during the 38-week term-time provision. Remaining hours can also be used on holiday club dates through a stretched agreement. Funding must be validated before the preceding term ends, and funding codes need regular re-verification. This makes the administrative timetable part of planning attendance.

For holiday club, including attendance through a stretched funded agreement, parents provide lunch and a drinks bottle. Nappies and wipes also come from home for children who need them, with the suncream condition described above. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the fees and term dates page sets out the session structure and funding arrangements.

• The working-day fit. The full-day session is 9am to 3pm, with separately listed extensions taking the opening window to 8am to 4pm. Consider which combination matches your working hours and travel commitments.
• Selected holiday cover. Holiday Club operates on particular dates and can be booked one day at a time. Match those dates against your family's holiday-care needs rather than treating it as continuous provision.
• Settling and additional support. Key people, a SENCO team and parent involvement in support plans provide concrete discussion points. During a visit, ask how the settling approach would be adapted to your child.
• A shared school site. Gorseland Primary School provides the setting's address and gymnastics hall. Preschool attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, so keep the school application separate from the childcare decision.

Martlesham Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as a 9am-to-3pm day with extensions. Its appeal rests on specific experiences: weekly ballet, fortnightly gymnastics, outdoor exploration and a playroom with space for different interests. The April 2025 Outstanding judgement gives that offer a strong inspection context.

The practical limits are equally clear. Main attendance follows term time, holiday care runs on selected dates, and the full-day session differs from the wider opening window. For families whose schedules fit those arrangements, the combination of active learning, individual key-person support and parent communication makes a persuasive choice.