Willand Pre-School

Child-led play and a close connection with Willand Primary School give Willand Pre-School its character. Indoor and outdoor learning sit alongside practical preparation for school, while Tapestry, an online learning journal containing photographs, observations and comments, lets parents follow their child's experiences and contribute their own.

At its 9 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised effective support for children needing additional help, while identifying language modelling and explanations about healthy eating as areas for improvement. Those findings give a useful picture of the setting at that date, rather than a judgement on today's practice.

Preschool care starts from age 2, with capacity for 62 children across the setting; breakfast and after-school provision serves children aged 2 to 11. Morning and afternoon preschool sessions sit alongside holiday care, giving families several attendance patterns rather than a single day length.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, covering communication, physical development, relationships, early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Willand's approach gives children room to choose activities and pursue their interests, using resources both indoors and outside. The practical emphasis is on exploration rather than an adult choosing every activity.

In November 2022, stories, songs and conversations were used to develop speech. Children willingly shared books with adults, and activities reflected both their interests and their next learning steps. That combination connected planned learning with things children already wanted to investigate.

Mathematics was woven into ordinary activities in November 2022: children counted, explored ideas about weight and fullness, and older children used number rhymes to practise subtraction. Younger children also undertook activities developing hand control, while older children worked on recognising names and numbers. Preparation for school included everyday independence, with children learning to manage coats and cut fruit for snacks.

Outdoor and Community Life

An outdoor area enclosed by fencing gives play a physical space beyond the indoor rooms. In November 2022, the wider village also contributed to learning: emergency-service visitors spoke with children, and outings included the post office and a convenience shop. These experiences connected learning about people's work with familiar places in the community.

Holiday Club has a different rhythm. Activities follow a holiday theme, with examples including salt-dough modelling, sewing and baking bread or pizza, alongside indoor and outdoor games. Its Playwork Principles place children's play needs and opportunities to explore at the centre of the club's approach. This is holiday provision with its own play emphasis, rather than simply a repetition of preschool sessions.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before a child starts. During the first six weeks, staff observe how children settle, note their interests and use small-group games to help them learn other children's names. That gives settling a continuing place in the early weeks, rather than treating it as a single introductory session.

The key person tracks development and sets individual goals. Parents can discuss their child with that member of staff, request assessment records and contribute to future planning at parents' evenings. Tapestry adds another route: families can see learning observations and photographs, upload their own pictures and leave comments. It creates a shared account of experiences at home and preschool.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In November 2022, staff identified additional learning needs early, worked with families and outside agencies, and adapted learning for individual children. These are concrete mechanisms behind the dated judgement on support, rather than a blanket promise that every need will be met in the same way.

All staff hold paediatric first-aid qualifications and have undertaken safeguarding training. Collection arrangements include a password for an adult collecting at short notice; medication requires a signed consent document, and children with sickness and diarrhoea must remain at home for 48 hours. These procedures give families specific responsibilities to plan around.

Hot dinners are supplied by Willand Primary School and charged separately. Breakfast Club can provide breakfast, while After School Club provides a small meal, making food arrangements dependent on the part of the day attended.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Gables Road, Willand, Devon, EX15 2QL. Preschool opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; the wider service operates for 50 weeks, with a two-week Christmas closure, while preschool care follows a 38-week year. Term-time education and holiday care therefore need to be considered separately when planning an annual childcare pattern.

Morning preschool runs from 9am to 11.30am, Lunch Club from 11.30am to 12.45pm, and the afternoon session from 12.45pm to 3.15pm. Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am. The afternoon club window starts at 3.15pm and ends at 6pm, with collection of Willand Primary School children taking place at 3.30pm.

Holiday Club opens from 8am to 6pm during the February, May and October half-terms and the Easter and summer holidays. It sells full-day and half-day bookings, with half days running from 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm. Two-year-olds must already attend the preschool to use Holiday Club, and payment accompanies the booking form and is non-refundable.

Enquiries go through the preschool office on 01884 33711. Admission forms cover two- and three-year-olds, with separate booking forms for out-of-hours and holiday provision.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including up to 15 hours per week for three- and four-year-olds, starting the term after the third birthday, and for eligible two-year-olds. The 30-hour working entitlement is also offered for families meeting the criteria. Additional hours and attendance before funding applies are paid privately. School dinners are charged separately and should be considered alongside the hours booked.

Moving on to School

The preschool describes a working partnership with Willand Primary School for wraparound care, including taking children to school and collecting them afterwards. It also works with the local primary school on preparation for starting school. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Language and food learning. In November 2022, some adults used inaccurate names for objects or animals and referred to people in the third person; explanations about why healthy eating matters also needed development. On a visit, ask how staff have changed these everyday conversations.
• Two afternoon timings. The afternoon club window begins at 3.15pm, while school collection is at 3.30pm. Discuss how the handover works for a preschool child and a school-age sibling.
• Holiday booking conditions. Holiday Club requires non-refundable payment with the booking form, and two-year-olds must already be enrolled at preschool. This matters when holiday plans are liable to change.
• Funding and paid extras. Dinners are charged separately and additional hours are paid privately. Ask for a written breakdown of these charges for your chosen attendance pattern.

Willand suits families seeking child-led preschool sessions, morning or afternoon attendance, and a connection with school-day wraparound care. Holiday Club adds full-day and half-day options, with clear conditions for the youngest children. The key-person arrangements and parent contributions through Tapestry give the care model useful substance. The November 2022 judgement was positive, but its language-modelling and healthy-eating recommendations remain sensible subjects for a visit discussion.