Sheering Village Preschool CIC

A garden that takes children from planting to tasting, village walks and bears that go home in a suitcase give Sheering Village Preschool CIC a recognisable character. This is a community preschool based in Sheering Village Hall, with care and education for children aged two to four and capacity for 44 children in total. Its appeal lies in experiences children can carry between preschool, home and the village.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the preschool Good overall and found safeguarding effective, with children comfortable in their surroundings and close relationships between children and staff. There were also clear teaching priorities: activities needed better adjustment for different abilities, and children needed longer to formulate answers. Those points matter alongside the positive judgement.

Attendance is organised around term-time morning sessions and afternoon additions.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, conversation, movement and exploration, covering language, relationships, physical skills and the foundations of literacy and mathematics. Children make choices about their activities, while practitioners also organise group experiences. That gives the day room for children's own interests as well as adult direction; it is the statutory framework, rather than an additional branded curriculum.

Activities take place inside the hall and outdoors. Practical independence extends to managing outdoor clothing and using the toilet; easily handled clothes help children manage these routines themselves.

In January 2024, children spent sustained periods drawing and experimented with patterns using brushes in winter-themed trays. Stories and songs supported vocabulary. Group activities sometimes lost younger children's attention and needed more challenge for those ready for harder tasks.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, brings photographs, comments and observations together so families can contribute experiences from home as well as see preschool learning. Amy & Alfie, the Resident Bears, make that connection tangible. Children take a bear home for a few nights with a suitcase of care items, then share photographs through Tapestry. Looking after a bear gives children a practical responsibility and something personal to discuss with their friends.

Outdoor and Community Life

Our Working / Sensory Garden connects growing with eating: children plant flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs, then taste the produce at snack time. A central raised bed supports sensory exploration.

A mud kitchen, potting bench and bug hotel offer different ways to investigate and play. Minibeast searches and butterfly release extend the interest in living things. A further outdoor garden contains bikes, cars, a slide, a climbing frame, a playhouse and a sand pit, giving children opportunities for movement alongside quieter exploration.

Regular community walks include the church and local shop, with litter picking also part of village activity. In January 2024, walks through nearby parks and fields prompted discussion about seasonal changes and birds overhead. A tricycle track provided another practical learning opportunity: children considered direction and the effect of travelling against the flow. These experiences connect language and judgement with things children can see and do.

The annual summer trip and village walks are planned around individual needs and accessibility, with risk assessments, first-aid supplies and required medication supporting participation.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person works with the family on interests, needs and an individual settling routine. A second familiar adult provides continuity during keyworker absences. Families can accompany their child on a settling visit.

Tapestry provides one planned observation each week alongside a daily group observation. Parents can add photographs, videos and comments, allowing staff to see interests and experiences beyond preschool. Annual progress reports and an open evening at least once a year add opportunities for a fuller discussion; conversations at session boundaries provide a more immediate route for everyday information.

In January 2024, children readily involved adults in imaginative family play, and encouragement helped them take pride in helpful behaviour and manners. Parents received verbal feedback as well as online updates. A lending library enabled families to take books home, extending shared reading beyond the preschool session.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

WellComm is a play-based speech and language screening toolkit used to establish children's starting points, usually within their first half term. Its accompanying resource, The Big Book of Ideas, supplies activities to address identified needs, and repeat screening can track changes. Results are shared through Tapestry. This gives speech and language support a practical sequence: identify a need, choose activities and review progress.

The SENCo coordinates support with the keyworker and parents. Planning to Respond information sheets set out individual support, with targets reviewed alongside families and advice sought from other professionals when needed. With parental permission, the preschool can involve the Essex Area SENCO and Early Years Advisory Teacher. Pictorial choosing boards and sensory toys are among the possible resources for helping children participate.

The village-hall building is at ground level, with wide doors and step-free entry. Layouts can be adjusted and specialist equipment considered with families. Initial discussions cover personal care, allergies, medicines and any agencies already involved; staff have training in administering medication, paediatric first aid and safeguarding procedures.

Parents provide a healthy snack, and snack time is used for conversation. When children move to another setting or school, the preschool aims to share their development records. Preparation for school includes visits from teachers and opportunities for children to visit their new Reception class in the term before starting. These are transition arrangements that help children become familiar with their next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates for 38 weeks each year, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, with an 8.30am start for children claiming 30 hours of Free Early Education Entitlement. A minimum booking of two mornings applies. Afternoon sessions run from noon to 2.30pm and can be added by children attending mornings; there is no minimum afternoon booking.

Morning-only attendance or mornings with afternoon additions must fit around term time and the 2.30pm finish.

Applications place children on a waiting list, and the preschool contacts families when a suitable place can be offered. After a family accepts an offer, further information is collected on admission, including a birth certificate. Registration enquiries can be made by telephone on 07949 486093 or by email at sheeringvillagepreschool@hotmail.co.uk.

Getting There

The address is Sheering Village Hall, The Street, Bishop's Stortford, CM22 7LX. The ground-level hall and wide entrance doors are relevant practical details for families using mobility equipment.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free Early Education Entitlement is offered for qualifying families with children aged two, three and four, with 30 hours per week subject to government criteria. The attendance year is term-time. The funding page sets out this entitlement; eligibility remains conditional.

Paid sessions and additional private hours are also offered where funding does not cover attendance. Payment is due in advance each half term, and fees remain payable for short absences without notice. Families obtain current prices in a written quotation from the preschool. Parents supply the healthy snack.

Uniform is optional. Protective clothing is supplied for messy play, so children can participate in those activities while working towards managing their own clothes and personal care.

• Morning-led attendance. At least two mornings are required, and afternoons are additions for children who attend mornings. This is a practical fit for a term-time routine; an afternoon-only arrangement does not match the booking conditions.
• Different learning stages. In January 2024, group activities sometimes lost younger children's attention and gave insufficient challenge to those ready for more. During a visit, ask how the same activity is adapted for children at different stages and how staff allow thinking time before expecting an answer.
• Individual support. WellComm screening and Planning to Respond plans provide concrete starting points for discussion. For a child with speech, language or other additional needs, use a visit to discuss how their keyworker, SENCo and family would agree and review support.
• Food and daily supplies. A healthy snack comes from home. For a child staying into the afternoon, ask what lunch and non-food supplies the family should bring and how any allergy requirements would be handled.

Sheering Village Preschool CIC suits families seeking term-time mornings or mornings with afternoon additions. Its growing garden, take-home bears and Tapestry journal connect preschool learning with home; speech and language screening and planned additional support add practical value.

The January 2024 Good judgement comes with teaching priorities around engagement, challenge and thinking time. The two-morning minimum and afternoon booking conditions need to fit the family's routine.