Swallow Risers Playgroup and Out Of School Club

A digging area, trampoline and covered outdoor space give Swallow Risers a practical, energetic character. Based within the grounds of Maundene Primary School in Walderslade, this preschool combines outdoor choice with a key person approach and opportunities for parents to take part in its life. There is room for family involvement beyond the learning journal.

Swallow Risers takes children aged two to five and has 30 places in total. At its 5 July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support and children made good progress. That is a dated assessment, with useful detail beneath the grade and two clear priorities for improvement.

Morning and afternoon preschool sessions, together with a lunchtime club, make this a term-time option built around shorter attendance patterns. Its charity committee is made up of volunteer parents and guardians, giving families a route into decisions about the setting as well as their own child's experience.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the framework for care and learning: children develop communication, movement and social skills through play alongside early reading, number work, creativity and exploration of the world. Swallow Risers combines activities chosen by children with experiences led by adults. Practitioners observe what interests each child and use that information when planning the following day's activities, so a child's choices can influence what comes next.

This is a play-based approach with a purpose. Children choose activities and practise seeing a task through, while adult-led groups introduce experiences and opportunities to work together. The balance matters for families who want their child to gain independence while also learning to listen, share and take part with others.

In July 2023, a doctors kit prompted sustained pretend play and conversations about how medical help works. Songs, books and instruments also formed part of the day, with adults allowing thinking time after questions and introducing more precise vocabulary. These examples show how ordinary play could become a conversation with substance, rather than a task completed for its own sake.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor access is part of children's choice during the day. The play area includes a sand pit and a digging area, with a trampoline adding another form of movement; a covered section supports outdoor play in wet weather. These are useful physical differences for a child who enjoys active play or exploring materials beyond the indoor activities.

In July 2023, staff had invested in outdoor resources with children who lacked outdoor space at home in mind. Experiences also extended beyond the setting: children travelled by bus to a theatre and visited a farm. Those were inspection-era examples of taking learning into other places, rather than a promise of a fixed outings timetable today.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who works with the family and helps with settling. Parents can remain for much of a session during the first week, then spend increasing periods away as their child becomes ready. The approach gives separation time to develop around the child, rather than requiring every family to follow the same pace.

Tapestry, the online journal used to record children's learning, gives parents access to observations and photographs and lets them contribute comments and experiences from home. It is a learning record rather than a channel for routine messages about absence or belongings. Updates usually follow within a few days, but are not necessarily added on every day a child attends.

In July 2023, parents valued their relationships with key people and the practical help they received with toilet training. However, opportunities for families to participate in learning both at home and in the setting needed further development. Newer staff also sometimes lacked enough information about individual children's next learning steps. These were separate concerns: communication with families and consistency across the staff team both mattered.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator provides a point of contact for discussing individual needs, and the setting has wheelchair access. The registration process asks about existing support plans, health needs and professionals already involved with the child. This gives families a structured way to explain what support their child needs before attendance begins.

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff prioritised individual support for children with SEND, sought additional help promptly and used effective arrangements for the move to school. During that period, families were also encouraged to share words used at home, helping children learning English connect familiar language with their new surroundings.

The progress check for two-year-olds brings parents' views into a written account of development. Alongside everyday observations, it helps identify where a child is progressing and where further help or different activities may be needed. Parents can also contribute through sessions, sharing personal interests or helping with resources, making involvement more practical than simply receiving updates.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Swallow Rise, Chatham, Kent, ME5 7QB, within Maundene School's grounds. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, during 39 term-time weeks. Bank holidays and five staff-training days are closures, so the annual calendar matters when matching childcare to work commitments.

The A.M. Preschool Session runs from 8.45am to 11.45am; the P.M. Preschool Session runs from 12.45pm to 3.45pm. Between them, Wraparound Lunch Club runs from 11.45am to 12.45pm. It is the lunchtime attendance option, distinct from the preschool sessions on either side.

Applications specify preferred days and sessions and enter a waiting list; submitting the form does not guarantee a place. Once an offer is made, families must respond within one week, and a non-returnable deposit follows acceptance. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01634 671450, email or the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free Early Education is offered for eligible two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds, with the latter entitlement described as 15 hours each week over up to 38 weeks. Delivery is term-time, while the setting opens for 39 weeks. Families therefore need to distinguish their attendance calendar from the funded allocation, rather than treating the two as interchangeable.

Paid preschool sessions and Lunch Club sit alongside funded provision. A registration charge applies, and fees are payable weekly in advance; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Reducing hours or leaving requires at least one month's notice, with a month's fees due if sufficient notice is not given.

Parents supply a packed lunch for lunchtime attendance, which is refrigerated; the preschool provides a morning snack of fruit, cheese and breadsticks with milk or water. Its lunchbox policy excludes nuts and nut-based products, while the childcare terms warn that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out and require an allergy risk assessment.

Parents also supply sun cream.

Sharing a site with Maundene School does not guarantee a Reception place.

• The two communication priorities. In July 2023, parent involvement in learning and the transfer of individual learning information to newer staff both needed strengthening. During a visit, ask how a child's next steps reach the whole team and how families contribute beyond Tapestry entries.
• Term-time planning. The preschool operates for 39 weeks, while the stated three- and four-year-old funded entitlement covers up to 38. Match the proposed session pattern and closure dates to your family's working calendar before accepting an offer.
• Lunch and allergies. Packed lunches come from home, nuts are excluded by policy, and the terms acknowledge possible cross-contamination. Allergy-affected families should confirm the current arrangements for their child, including the risk assessment.
• Parent participation. A volunteer family committee runs the charity, and parents can help with sessions, fundraising or gardening. Consider whether that community role appeals to you, alongside the childcare itself.

Swallow Risers suits families seeking morning preschool or afternoon preschool, with a separate lunchtime option during school terms. Its outdoor equipment, gradual settling approach and Tapestry learning journal give parents concrete features to weigh. The July 2023 assessment supports the choice, but the communication priorities deserve attention when visiting. For parents keen to contribute to a community preschool, the committee and practical volunteering opportunities add another reason to consider it.