Cullompton Pre-School

An outdoor shelter built with The Outdoors group and a settling process that begins at home give Cullompton Pre-School a recognisable character. Forest School adds hands-on outdoor learning; individual inclusion plans give families a concrete basis for discussing support.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Outstanding, finding rapid learning progress through individualised teaching and strong partnerships with families and professionals. Home visits and key-person care remain part of the current offer.

On Brook Road in Cullompton, it has 36 places for children aged two to five. Morning, afternoon and whole-day sessions run during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the shared framework for learning and care: children develop language, movement and relationships through play, alongside early experiences of number, reading, creativity and the world around them. Here, the curriculum gives particular attention to communication, physical development and children's social and emotional development. Those priorities connect learning with everyday tasks, such as expressing a need, joining another child's game or managing clothing.

Weekly activity changes and revisited experiences combine with circle time, adult-guided work and freely chosen play. Playdough, water and sand play, ride-on toys and large climbing equipment give children practical ways to explore. Garage and theatre role play exercise imagination; stories and singing bring the groups together.

In June 2025, children talked about newly arrived caterpillars and what would happen as they developed. They used the experience to explain their ideas and practise new vocabulary. During the same month, everyday independence included looking after belongings, clearing plates and persisting with clothing fastenings before seeking help. School preparation was visible in ordinary tasks, rather than confined to a separate lesson.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds a sustained outdoor element. Two sessions run each week for the Sun and Moon groups, which take turns over their year at the pre-school. The emphasis is natural discovery and practical exploration, with opportunities to choose activities and encounter manageable challenges. The rotation matters for parents: the weekly programme does not mean every child attends both sessions.

Built with support from The Outdoors group, the shelter protects against poor weather, helping outdoor exploration continue beyond dry days. Forest School runs across the year.

Community experiences include invitations to the police and fire brigade, as well as parents and animals. Calendar-linked activities include Diwali, Harvest and Pancake Day. These give children subjects to talk about beyond their immediate routines; families' interests and cultures also help shape activities for the children attending each session.

Star Group is the youngest children's group; its intake is limited to maintain required staffing arrangements.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before attendance, with two senior staff making a home visit to learn about interests, routines and concerns. Parents and staff agree the settling plan: a familiar adult stays nearby while the child builds confidence with staff, then short separations gradually extend towards a whole session.

Key-person photographs sit at children's height, and key children receive daily time with their practitioner. Persistent distress prompts contact with parents and an agreed response. Early text or photograph updates depend on staff time.

The monthly newsletter covers pre-school life. At parent evenings, the Special Book records learning for discussion; the half-termly Next Steps form supplies home activities. Families can also use a home/pre-school communication book when needed.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SEND coordinator discusses observations with parents before applying to Devon County Council for inclusion funding. Individual inclusion plans set targets and support, reviewed with families every six weeks; parents can view the support folder.

Funding can pay for equipment, training or an additional adult. Speech and language services, early years complex needs and nursery plus can advise on targets, linking support to assessed needs.

The physical arrangements also deserve attention. A nurture room provides somewhere quieter for a child who is tired or needs a break, and visual timetables help explain routines. The entrance and gardens are wheelchair accessible, with ramps serving the garden areas. Toileting facilities include a toilet with handrails and low basins beside child-size toilets.

Behaviour support starts with understanding what is driving a difficulty. Staff and parents use observations to agree individual plans, with further professional help considered when initial approaches are insufficient. The policy emphasises helping children understand feelings and practise more appropriate responses, making family involvement part of the response to recurring difficulties.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding arrangements effective and identified careful sharing of assessments with families and other professionals to support children's development. Current staff roles include safeguarding and behaviour-support responsibilities, alongside the SEND coordinator.

Moving to primary school includes invitations for local school teachers to meet the children, occasional visits to schools and a transition document explaining a child's needs. For children needing additional support, planning meetings allow strategies to be shared with the receiving school. The emphasis is continuity of care and information.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Brook Road, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 1DS. Term-time sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings from 9.05am to 12.05pm, afternoons from 12.05pm to 3.05pm, and whole days from 9.05am to 3.05pm. The whole-day pattern includes time for a packed lunch; the shorter sessions do not include lunch.

Children normally attend at least two sessions each week, preferably on different days, and may attend up to ten. A single weekly session is accepted only exceptionally. For younger children, the recommendation is to begin with two or three sessions, then consider increasing attendance with staff when the child is ready.

September is the main intake, with individual starts possible during the year subject to space and readiness. The waiting list follows the date an interest is registered, with additional considerations including SEND, siblings and access to funded hours. Completing the registration form expresses interest and does not secure particular sessions.

Term dates do not always match neighbouring schools. The pre-school remains open when local schools have staff training days during term, but closes for half-term holidays and for a December party day. Families coordinating siblings' calendars should allow for those differences. General enquiries go to the office on 01884 35018 or admin@cullomptonpreschool.org.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time, including 2 year old funding, working entitlement funding and the 15/30 hours arrangements. Private hours are also offered. Funding paperwork includes proof of the child's identity and date of birth, followed by a termly declaration of the hours being claimed here and, where relevant, elsewhere.

Parents supply the packed lunch for whole-day attendance, while staff prepare snacks. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the funding administration.

• Settling time. Home visits and gradual separation are built into the approach. At a visit, discuss how the settling plan would work around your child's previous experience of care and your own working hours.
• Forest School rotation. Sun and Moon groups take turns within a programme of two sessions each week. Ask how your child's attendance days would fit that rotation.
• Whole-day lunch and other supplies. Parents provide a packed lunch. Request a written quotation for your chosen hours; allergy-affected families should also confirm current food arrangements.
• Term-time calendar. Closures and term boundaries can differ from local schools, including the December party day. Compare the pre-school calendar with your family's work and sibling commitments.

Cullompton Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as a whole day during term time. Forest School provides a concrete outdoor addition, while home visits, individual inclusion plans and regular parent discussions make the care arrangements unusually easy to understand.

The June 2025 Outstanding judgement is a strong inspection reference point. For a present-day decision, the most persuasive details are the practical ones: a planned settling process, accessible gardens, a quieter nurture room and specific ways for families to participate in their child's learning. The term-time calendar and supplied packed lunch need to fit family life.