The Good Shepherd Pre-School

A wooded space within residential Woodthorpe gives The Good Shepherd Pre-School its clearest character: children can explore nature on the premises, rather than relying on trips elsewhere. Forest School brings regular outdoor learning through shelter making, recognising plants and animals, and investigating natural surroundings. The setting occupies Weaverthorpe Scout Hut and has capacity for 28 children.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and found safeguarding effective, with learning shaped around children's interests and developmental stages. Children attending then were aged 2 to 4. The strengths came with two practical improvement points: explaining the reasons for behaviour boundaries and reducing waits between activities.

Morning sessions run throughout the working week, with afternoons and full days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This is also a parent-run committee setting, with fundraising and opportunities for families to contribute to its running.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means learning through play and interaction alongside support for children's wellbeing; the June 2023 activities give concrete examples of how this worked here.

In June 2023, magnetic construction tiles prompted conversations about flat shapes and solid models. Painting and shaping dough gave children practice using their hands and tools, while sound games introduced rhymes and the beginnings of words. These experiences connected early mathematical ideas, physical coordination and language to activities children could explore for themselves.

Grouping also followed children's stage of development in June 2023. That matters more than giving everyone the same task: the activity needs to make sense to the child taking part. The account of children choosing activities and discussing their creations offers a useful picture of an interest-led day at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds regular sessions in the pre-school's own wooded area. Children make shelters, investigate their surroundings and learn to use tools, with opportunities to work together and take manageable risks. The programme extends learning beyond tabletop activities into a setting that changes with the natural environment. Outdoor suits are supplied; families provide wellington boots or other suitable footwear.

In June 2023, the garden and woodland supported learning about animals and their habitats. Children learned about growing fruit and vegetables and put food scraps into compost bins. In the mud kitchen, mixing herbs into pretend drinks combined imaginative play with exploring smells and textures. Nature learning had tangible materials to work with.

The Good Shepherd Church is a collaborator in many fundraising activities. Christmas and Summer Fairs and an Easter morning bring families into the pre-school's fundraising year, with proceeds returning to the setting. Parents can also attend regular meetings, making involvement broader than helping at an occasional stall.

The 15 Month Club offers a gentle introduction to the setting before preschool begins. Toddlers attend with a parent, grandparent or carer, so getting to know staff and surroundings happens alongside a familiar adult. Staff manage the group and offer advice, while changing activities and a creative table provide painting, collage and sand or water play.

For a child who needs time to become comfortable with unfamiliar people, that arrangement has a clear practical purpose: the adults, space and faces can become familiar before the move into preschool. The club welcomes children from 15 months until they start preschool and meets every Friday afternoon during term time, from 1pm to 3pm.

In June 2023, children sought comfort from staff and played cooperatively, including asking to share materials. Staff encouraged positive behaviour, but explanations did not consistently help children understand the reasons behind boundaries. Kind interactions were present; teaching children why a rule matters needed more attention.

Daily communication in June 2023 included updates about children's development and advice for supporting learning at home. Staff also discussed healthy eating and helped families support tooth care. Fruit and milk featured at snack time then, linking conversations about health to something children were eating.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Weaverthorpe Scout Hut, 78a Weaverthorpe Road, Woodthorpe, NG5 4PT. Enquiries can be made by email or telephone, and an application form provides the admissions route.

Morning bookings run from 8.50am to 11.50am, Monday to Friday. Afternoon bookings run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; those same days also offer full-day care from 8.50am to 3.30pm. Families can therefore choose shorter attendance or a day spanning both morning and afternoon, rather than treating the longest window as the only option.

Lunch runs from 11.50am to 12.30pm throughout the week and is charged separately. The 15 Month Club has its own Friday term-time window, from 1pm to 3pm, with an initial free trial.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded nursery education is offered for children aged 2, 3 and 4. Lunch carries an additional charge. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation from the pre-school.

Moving on to School

Children leaving the setting go on to Good Shepherd School, Woodthorpe Infants, Ernhale Primary School and Mapperley Plains School. These are onward destinations, rather than a promise of admission. Families should keep their school application separate from their preschool arrangements.

• Routines and behaviour. In June 2023, children sometimes waited too long between activities, and staff needed to explain behaviour boundaries more clearly. On a visit, ask how transitions now work and how practitioners help children understand the effect of their behaviour on others.
• Shorter days and lunch. Afternoon and full-day bookings run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while morning sessions span the working week. Match that pattern to your childcare needs, including the separately charged lunch period.
• Funding arrangements. Funding covers the stated ages of 2, 3 and 4. Ask how funded hours fit your chosen sessions and how food and consumables are handled within that arrangement.
• Outdoor kit and family involvement. Forest School suits are supplied, but suitable footwear comes from home. Fundraising and committee participation also form part of this setting's life, so consider how you would like to contribute.

The Good Shepherd Pre-School suits families seeking either morning attendance or a mixture of afternoons and full days on the days offered. Its on-site woodland, regular Forest School and adult-accompanied 15 Month Club give it a recognisable combination of outdoor learning and a gradual introduction to preschool.

The June 2023 Good judgement is a useful quality marker, with clear cautions about waiting times and explanations of behaviour expectations. For parents comfortable with its attendance pattern and interested in a committee-run setting, those practical details make this a preschool worth considering.