Upwood Small to Tall

Play and the move towards school give Upwood Small to Tall its character. Based on the Upwood Primary School site in Upwood, this committee-run setting puts children's interests, creativity and independence into its approach to learning. The school connection is practical: children encounter routines associated with the next stage of education while still learning through play.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found that its curriculum supported children's learning effectively. The setting has 38 places in total; that is whole-setting capacity, rather than the size of a group. In July 2022, children attending were aged 2 to 11, spanning preschool and school-age care.

Term-time preschool sessions can be booked flexibly, alongside Breakfast Club and After School Club. That combination gives families different ways to use the setting, rather than a single fixed day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the preschool's approach centres on learning through play, with children's interests helping shape activities. Creativity has a practical purpose, encouraging exploration, problem-solving and independence rather than simply producing something to take home.

In July 2022, children mixed ingredients to make play dough, working together and continuing when the mixing took effort. Staff used conversation about the task to extend their thinking. It is a useful example of an activity doing several jobs at once: handling materials, talking through a process and persisting with a shared task.

Early literacy in July 2022 included making marks, writing and listening to familiar stories. Children joined in with words they recognised, while younger children received help to participate. Conversation also mattered: staff used questions to prompt thinking, and children practised unfamiliar vocabulary while explaining their ideas. These experiences connected language with something children were actually doing.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2022, children could move between indoor and outdoor play as their interests changed. Ride-on toys gave them opportunities to practise balance and movement while allowing room for other children. This activity therefore involved both physical control and awareness of others.

Another July 2022 activity paired small hammers with safety goggles as children broke ice to uncover objects inside. The interest came from discovery, with safety introduced through the equipment and the task itself. This was hands-on exploration with a clear reason for taking care.

School preparation also extends into family information. In March 2022, the setting shared Getting Ready for Change, an online health questionnaire created by local NHS professionals for children approaching Reception. It covers hearing, eyesight, emotional health and behaviour, with links to further support. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Child Programme provides a contact route for questions about it.

In July 2022, staff knew their key children and used their understanding of existing skills to plan what came next. They also worked with parents and other professionals where appropriate. This linked everyday knowledge of a child with decisions about teaching, rather than treating planning as a separate exercise.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported good progress for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by collaboration with families and agencies and purposeful use of additional funding. Those are dated judgements about practice at that visit.

The current staff arrangements include paediatric first-aid qualifications, DBS checks and continuing professional development. A one-to-one support practitioner role also forms part of the team structure. These are concrete arrangements; the support a particular child receives still needs to match that child's circumstances.

In July 2022, children practised sharing and taking turns, with gentle reminders from adults. Older children were learning to recognise how their actions affected others. Everyday independence included washing hands and getting ready for lunch, making personal care part of the preschool day rather than an isolated lesson.

Sessions and Attendance

Preschool runs from 9am to 3.30pm on weekdays during term time. Families book flexible sessions within that window by the term, which allows attendance to fit around a chosen part of the preschool day.

Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am, and After School Club from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. Both serve children attending Upwood Primary School and each also has eight preschool places for three-year-olds, allocated in booking order. These are specific age and school conditions, rather than an unrestricted extension of preschool attendance.

The preschool and club patterns serve different purposes. Flexible daytime attendance can accommodate a shorter session, while the clubs extend care around the school day for eligible children. The term-time calendar is central to both arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Children attending over lunchtime, between noon and 1pm, may bring a packed lunch or have a booked hot dinner. Families provide the packed lunch; hot dinners carry a separate charge, billed monthly after they have been taken.

In July 2022, the setting provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and its fees page links to the fees policy.

Getting There

The setting is at Upwood Primary Academy, Ramsey Road, Upwood, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE26 2QA. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01487 802086 or by email to manager@upwoodsmalltotall.co.uk.

The nursery describes close working with Upwood Primary School, including familiarity with school routines and the move into Reception. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The value of the connection is preparation, rather than an admissions entitlement.

• Term-time attendance. Preschool and the clubs operate during school terms. Families needing childcare through the holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Club eligibility. The preschool places in Breakfast Club and After School Club are for three-year-olds and allocated in booking order. Discuss how a proposed preschool timetable would work alongside those club conditions.
• Teaching consistency. In July 2022, the improvement priority was to deepen staff teaching knowledge so that purposeful play received consistently effective support. A visit is an opportunity to ask how staff development now translates into children's activities.
• Funded attendance and extras. The July 2022 provision included funded early education, while hot dinners are separately charged. Ask how a proposed funded booking is delivered and which non-food consumables families would supply or pay for.

Upwood Small to Tall suits families seeking flexible term-time preschool attendance, as well as eligible children using breakfast or after-school care. Its school-site connection gives transition work a concrete context, while the July 2022 examples show learning through conversation, practical discovery and growing independence.

The decision turns on the term-time calendar and the conditions attached to club attendance. For families whose schedules fit those arrangements, this is a preschool and wraparound combination with a clear relationship to school life.