Bow Bears Pre-School CIO

A village-hall preschool where practical problem-solving stood out in June 2022: Bow Bears Pre-School CIO combines a community setting in Bow with an inspection history that gives parents concrete examples to weigh. At its 22 June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes. Children were learning to negotiate disagreements, persevere with tasks and explain their ideas.

The setting has capacity for 30 children at The Village Hall, Station Road, Bow, Crediton. Children attending in June 2022 were aged two to four. Its term-time attendance pattern makes the preschool calendar an important part of the family decision.

In June 2022, children could choose between indoor and outdoor activities, with experiences shaped around their interests and what they could already do. The building area supplied a telling example: children mixed water and sand into pretend cement, adjusting quantities to get the mixture right. Counting had a purpose. So did experimentation, as children tested how to make their building materials work.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means play and everyday experiences contribute to children's communication, physical skills and understanding, rather than learning being confined to a formal lesson.

During June 2022, mathematical ideas appeared in construction and movement games. Children compared the heights of brick buildings and connected numbers on a dice with physical tasks. These examples show how counting and measurement could become part of something children wanted to do, rather than an isolated exercise.

An interest in animals also prompted a visitor to bring minibeasts for children to examine and handle. That was an example of adults extending an existing curiosity. It should be read as a June 2022 activity, rather than a promise of a recurring visitor programme.

Teddies Toddler is a separate toddler group meeting on Friday mornings, from 9.30am to 11.15am. It adds another named activity to Bow Bears' offer, distinct from the preschool sessions.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and additional support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), effective in helping children make good progress. Personalised settling arrangements helped children separate confidently from parents, while staff assessed language on entry and used targeted help where needed.

In June 2022, staff helped children work through disagreements by putting feelings into words and considering solutions that worked for those involved. Children also practised everyday responsibilities, including tidying away toys and seeking help. For parents, the useful detail is the emphasis on learning how to manage a difficulty, rather than simply having an adult end it.

Practical independence featured too. During June 2022, children cut fruit for snacks with staff support and explained road-safety rules on outings. Connections with parents and other settings helped establish children's starting points and support their move towards school.

Communication was the weaker part of that picture. In June 2022, updates about ongoing learning were not consistently detailed or regular enough, and parents needed more help to continue learning at home. Staff development also needed closer monitoring so that training and coaching could further strengthen teaching. Both points matter when assessing how the preschool works with families now.

Sessions and Attendance

Bow Bears sessions run from 9.15am to 3.15pm, Tuesday to Friday, during term time. Doors open at 9.10am to support settling before the session begins. Children must have an allocated place before starting, so attendance needs to be arranged in advance.

The address is The Village Hall, Station Road, Bow, Crediton, EX17 6HU. The term-time pattern means families need to plan separately for preschool holidays; the Tuesday-to-Friday timetable also needs to fit their weekly commitments.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are offered. The Funding and Fees Policy provides for Early Years Education Funding (EYEF) from the term after a child's third birthday, eligible two-year-old funding, and the extended entitlement for eligible families. It describes up to 15 funded hours a week over 38 weeks and an extended entitlement of 30 hours, delivered during term time.

Parents accessing funding must complete a declaration, supply their child's birth certificate and sign the termly headcount claim. Privately paid hours cover children who are not yet eligible for funding or who use their entitlement elsewhere. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Once a session place is confirmed, payment applies across the term rather than depending on actual attendance. Fees can be waived for an absence notified in writing at least two weeks ahead. Bills are payable in advance, with weekly payment arrangements possible where paying by the half term is difficult.

• Learning updates. In June 2022, sharing children's progress and ideas for learning at home needed strengthening, alongside monitoring staff development. At a visit, ask how families now receive updates and how staff development is reviewed.
• The term-time week. Preschool sessions run Tuesday to Friday, ending at 3.15pm. This timetable needs to work alongside employment commitments and holiday arrangements.
• Payment commitments. Confirmed sessions remain payable across the term, subject to the written absence-notice provision. Withdrawal requires a month's written notice, with fees payable through that period unless an exception is agreed in advance.

Bow Bears suits families whose routines fit term-time preschool sessions from Tuesday to Friday. Its June 2022 examples of construction, language support and conflict resolution give substance to the Good judgement, while the communication and staff-development priorities deserve attention. Teddies Toddler offers a separate Friday-morning group; it should be considered separately from a preschool place.