Mayfield Pre-School

A school field next door, regular beach trips and play built around natural materials give Mayfield Pre-School a clear character. Based at Mayfield County Primary in Lytham St. Annes, it combines a self-contained preschool setting with access to larger spaces for movement and exploration. The garden is part of the everyday offer; the school hall adds room for dance. This is a setting where learning extends beyond the activity table.

Ofsted rated Mayfield Pre-School Outstanding on 21 April 2022. Children can start at two, and there are 28 places in total: a whole-setting capacity, not a daily group size.

Term-time attendance offers mornings, afternoons and full days, accommodating shorter sessions or days that include lunch.

Rooms and Ages

The 2 year Olds Room emphasises friendships, sharing ideas and growing independence through creative play, including practice with dressing, eating and toileting. These are practical steps towards managing the preschool day, rather than a rush towards formal lessons.

In the 3-4 year Olds Room, the emphasis moves towards routines, early mathematics and literacy, with both activities guided by adults and play children choose themselves. Children have opportunities to experiment and make decisions, so preparation for school includes learning how to participate as well as what to know.

Wooden furniture and other natural materials shape the environment. Resources can be combined and used in imaginative ways, and staff support children as they learn to handle scissors, tools and sculpting equipment. Open spaces also accommodate larger creative projects, yoga and dance. The practical benefit is room to change the scale of an activity, from working with small materials to moving the whole body.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development: here, children learn through play, while staff observe their interests and use those observations to plan what comes next. It is the shared early-years foundation, rather than an extra programme unique to Mayfield. Alongside it, the preschool uses open-ended activities and follows children's interests when planning further experiences.

Letters and Sounds adds listening games, rhyme and exploration of speech sounds to the afternoon routine, building the skills used in early reading. Younger children have Bucket time, an activity intended to develop shared attention, communication and curiosity. Dough disco features in circle time. In April 2022, it helped children exercise small muscles and strengthen their fingers for early writing.

Children start with self-selected activities before group time and shared news. Keyworker groups include stories and rhymes; adult-supported activities alternate with independent choices. Fruit preparation, tidying and handwashing make everyday tasks part of learning too.

In April 2022, children matched bugs they discovered outdoors with illustrations in books, linking exploration with early literacy. Magnets prompted joint problem-solving and mathematical thinking. These examples show how an interest could develop across different kinds of learning, rather than ending when a single activity finished.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School activities add outdoor exploration to the preschool's approach. The garden and neighbouring school field provide different settings for physical play, while regular outings include the beach, parks, shops and the fire station. These trips bring local places into children's experience and give staff material to build on back at preschool.

In April 2022, children used outdoor equipment to develop balance and coordination, and collected shells and pebbles at the beach for artwork. The school hall and field also supported dance and physical education. Outdoor time therefore had several purposes: movement, investigation and gathering material for creative work.

Each group's keyworker follows children's development and shares information with parents, giving families a named point of contact. Staff are also available to discuss the day.

Before a child starts, families complete admissions documents covering their needs and interests. For children with specific additional needs, a care plan is prepared with parents and relevant professionals before entry. That makes the starting arrangements a matter of individual planning, rather than expecting every child to follow an identical route. A manager/SENCO role forms part of the current staff structure.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support excellent, with individual learning plans, parental involvement and access to speech and language services and other health professionals. Those findings give a concrete account of support at that date; the current care-plan arrangements remain an important practical mechanism for families considering the setting.

In April 2022, children could express moods through a feelings chart, hug feeling bears or use yoga to manage emotions. Conversations in the feelings den and during stories helped them recognise feelings, with practical responses alongside talking.

Family information also shaped daily life in April 2022. Staff used photographs and details from home to support children, including maintaining connections with parents overseas. Parents contributed knowledge of their cultures, and visits involving traditional clothing and languages helped children encounter experiences beyond their own families.

Sessions and Attendance

Mayfield Pre-School is based at Mayfield County Primary, St. Leonards Road East, Lytham St. Annes, FY8 2HQ. It opens Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm, across 38 weeks of the year, with term-time attendance.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Full-day care runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm. There are also longer session options from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 11.30am to 3.30pm, allowing either end of the day to include the lunch period.

The additional lunch hour is 11.30am to 12.30pm. Morning children are asked to attend before 9am; afternoon collection can begin at 3pm. These details matter when matching the preschool timetable with work or another child's school day. Families can contact the preschool by telephone or through its message form.

Collection arrangements require advance notification if someone other than the authorised adult will collect, with identification or a password used before release. When demand reaches capacity, the waiting-list order takes account of the registration date and the child's date of birth. This is a booking rule, rather than a statement about places currently free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, support for eligible two-year-olds and the extended entitlement for eligible working parents. Funding is delivered during term time rather than stretched across the year. Additional paid sessions can extend funded attendance, so the funded arrangement and any privately purchased hours need to be considered separately.

Children bring a packed lunch and a piece of fruit for sharing at snack time; milk is supplied by the preschool. Families therefore have food to prepare for lunch attendance as well as a contribution to snacks.

A full week's payment is required before a child starts, and payment continues during absence because the place is held for them. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare are accepted as payment-support schemes.

Mayfield occupies a school site, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Mayfield Primary School. Families still need to follow the school's admissions procedures.

• Term-time fit. The preschool operates for 38 weeks, with both short sessions and full days. At a visit, discuss which pattern fits your working week and what you would need to bring beyond the packed lunch and shared fruit.
• Age boundary. The two-to-four childcare offer conflicts with the two-to-five nursery age range. Families whose child will turn five should clarify the intended leaving point before choosing an attendance plan.
• Support before starting. Children with specific additional needs have a care plan prepared before entry. Discuss how your child's professionals and family information would contribute to that plan and to the first sessions.
• Separate school application. Preschool attendance does not guarantee Reception at Mayfield Primary School. Treat the preschool choice and the school application as separate decisions.

Mayfield suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those needing a full day within a term-time timetable. Natural materials, the garden, school-field access and regular beach outings give the offer substance, while Letters and Sounds and Bucket time add clearly described activities to the day. The Outstanding judgement dates from April 2022. For a decision now, the strongest practical match is between the family's attendance needs, the child's starting arrangements and this play-led, outward-looking preschool offer.