West Hallam Village Pre-School

An Outdoor Obstacle Area, family craft events and a committee shaped by parents give West Hallam Village Pre-School a recognisable character. It occupies premises within Scargill School while operating as a separate business, with capacity for 30 children in total. Family involvement extends beyond progress updates: parents can help make decisions about how the pre-school runs.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its inspection on 17 June 2021. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of today's daily practice. The current offer centres on play, a key person for each child and opportunities for families to contribute to learning.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions provide different attendance patterns. The practical distinction is between a fixed session arrangement and occasional childcare: children attend their booked sessions, rather than dropping in on an ad-hoc basis.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS sets expectations for children's learning, development and care; here, children learn through supported play shaped around their interests. Communication, physical development and relationships sit alongside early literacy, mathematics and creative experiences. The framework is the shared foundation for early education, rather than an extra programme unique to this setting.

Children's choices have a practical place in the day. They can vote for a story or song, make joint decisions when sharing a large train set, and help adults agree group rules. These are small, understandable ways to practise expressing a preference, listening to somebody else and taking turns. Learning about rules is connected to how people's behaviour affects others.

A key person's observations help connect those everyday experiences to the next stage of learning. Initial observations establish a starting point, followed by observations each term of both activities led by adults and play directed by children. Planning responds to the child's interests and ideas, rather than grouping children by ability.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Main Room, Messy Play Area and Role play Corner give different kinds of play their own spaces. Outside, an Outdoor Play Area and Outdoor Obstacle Area add a physical dimension to the setting. For families weighing up the environment, the combination brings imaginative, messy and active play into the same pre-school offer.

Community contact includes invitations to family members, local businesses and the local church community. Children also explore differences between families, occupations and celebrations, with opportunities to share their own experiences. This gives discussion about other people a connection to children's lives.

Annual family events add another route into pre-school life. Grandparents Day includes shared crafts and cake decorating, while Mother's Day and Father's Day include planting as well as creative activities. These occasions give relatives something to do alongside their child, rather than simply attending a presentation.

Each child has a key person. A meeting at the start allows parents to discuss development and concerns while learning about the curriculum and daily sessions. Children also spend time with other practitioners, so the arrangement provides a particular adult connection without restricting contact to one member of staff.

Parents can discuss learning records with the key person or manager. Tapestry, an online learning journal, adds photographs, observations and video to that communication, and parents can contribute comments about activities and learning at home. It creates a useful connection between what a child does at pre-school and what interests them elsewhere.

Christmas Crafts and Easter Crafts combine family activities with opportunities to talk to the key person about development. These conversations sit alongside access to learning records, rather than replacing it. A Leavers' Party marks the move towards school with an end-of-term celebration.

Designated safeguarding lead roles and a SENCO role form part of the staff structure. These are arrangements for responsibility and support, rather than a current inspection judgement about their effectiveness. The key-person meeting gives parents a specific starting point for discussing their child's needs.

Children staying all day or attending the afternoon session bring a packed lunch and drink, kept cool with a block in a cool bag; the pre-school asks families to leave nuts, sweets and fizzy drinks out. Snacks carry a requested voluntary contribution, while a separate contribution is requested for wipes, sun cream and tissues.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Scargill CE Primary School, Beech Lane, West Hallam, DE7 6GU. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07905 072997 or by email to info@westhallamvillagepreschool.co.uk.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm, Monday to Friday. A full day runs from 9am to 3pm. Lunch falls within the afternoon session, which matters for families choosing that pattern as well as those booking the full day.

Requests to change or add sessions join a waiting list reviewed at the start of each half term. Extra sessions cannot be held back for later in the year, and ad-hoc attendance is not permitted. This makes the usual weekly pattern an important decision when arranging childcare.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible two-year-olds may receive 15 hours of funding from the term following their second birthday. Universal funding provides up to 15 hours per week from the term following the third birthday, with an additional 15 hours for families eligible for 30-hour funding. Eligibility conditions apply to the relevant schemes; the funding offer should not be read as a guarantee of a particular attendance pattern.

Private sessions are also offered. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation, with a one-off insurance and administration charge separate from session charges. Lunch is supplied by parents, snacks have a requested voluntary contribution, and non-food consumables have their own requested contribution.

Invoices are issued each half term and payment is due within 14 days. Session charges remain payable for illness, holidays or early withdrawal, so booked attendance has a financial commitment even when a child misses time.

The pre-school shares a site with Scargill CE Primary School but remains a separate business. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Later regulatory record. Ofsted's records list a concern dated 17 October 2023; its outcome is not published, so families may want to ask the pre-school about it.
• A fixed attendance pattern. Changes and additional sessions go through a waiting list reviewed each half term. On a visit, discuss how the morning, afternoon or full-day pattern would fit your child's routine.
• Lunch and contributions. Afternoon and full-day attendance require a packed lunch, and snack and consumables contributions sit alongside session arrangements. Families managing allergies should confirm current food practice, including the request to exclude nuts.
• Sharing a school site. The premises are within Scargill School, but the pre-school is a separate business. Treat the childcare choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.

West Hallam Village Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a day ending at 3pm. Its strongest practical features are the connection with a key person, opportunities to follow learning through Tapestry, and family participation through events and the committee. The fixed booking arrangement deserves attention, alongside the dated Good judgement and the later concern record. This is a choice for families who want to take an active part in pre-school life.