Muskham Preschool

Music, signs and a parent committee give Muskham Preschool its character. Weekly Caterpillar Music sessions bring instruments and themed play into the day, while gestures and picture choices make communication part of ordinary routines. Parents can also help shape the setting through its volunteer committee. This is a preschool with practical ways for families to take part.

Based at the Village Hall in North Muskham, it has capacity for 26 children and accepts children aged 18 months to 5 years. At its 5 July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall. That dated judgement sits alongside a current offer built around play, language development and preparation for school.

Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance are offered, with term-time provision on weekdays and holiday opening on Tuesdays and Thursdays, except at Christmas.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS, or Early Years Foundation Stage, sets the standards for children's learning, development and care. Here, children's development is observed during their sessions, and learning is woven into play rather than treated as a separate lesson. Parents receive photographs and observations through Tapestry, an online portal that gives them something concrete to discuss with their child.

Language for Life, Nottinghamshire's language strategy, has a visible place in daily activities. Staff use Makaton signs and gestures during stories, rhymes, snack time and play. These accompany speech, emphasising important words and helping children understand and express themselves. Picture labels on drawers, song-choice cards and a visual timetable also support choices and make routines easier to follow.

Caterpillar Music adds weekly music and movement sessions with changing themes. Puppets, outfits, props and instruments give children several ways to join in. Forest School sessions add outdoor exploration alongside the EYFS; they are another strand of the preschool's activities, rather than a replacement for its everyday learning framework.

In July 2023, imaginative play included repairing a pretend aeroplane with toy tools. Staff introduced vocabulary about its parts and encouraged children to cooperate when sharing equipment. Other activities centred on farms and animals, with observations used to decide what children would learn next. These examples show how a child's play could become a conversation, a practical task and an opportunity to practise working with others.

Outdoor and Community Life

Play takes place indoors and outside. In July 2023, children watered strawberry plants and talked about what helped the fruit grow. A climbing frame provided opportunities to learn safe movement, while preparation for sports day included balancing eggs on spoons. The physical experiences were simple and purposeful.

At that time, additional funding supported nature sessions and farm visits for some children. These were opportunities to explore animals and the natural world through direct experience. They should be read as examples from July 2023, rather than a current trip timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Parents' evenings take place once or twice a year, with a child's key person available to discuss progress. Tapestry also carries a newsletter each half term. Observations, individual conversations and setting news therefore have different routes, helping parents keep track of both their child's development and preschool life.

The parent committee manages the preschool and its finances, with fundraising supporting its operation. Families can contribute by helping at sessions, caring for play materials or joining the committee. This involvement has substance: committee membership is necessary for the preschool to operate, so participation is more than an occasional social invitation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements, positive progress in learning and tailored support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including picture prompts to help them communicate. Current staff responsibilities include a SENCO, a language lead and designated safeguarding lead roles. These give families identifiable responsibilities to work with when discussing their child's needs.

Preschool Promises sets out expectations for behaviour, including sharing, kindness and walking indoors. The Marble Jar Reward system recognises positive behaviour. In July 2023, children also practised independence by distributing plates, pouring drinks and persevering when buttering toast. Small tasks gave them opportunities to contribute to the group and try things for themselves.

Two aspects of staff practice needed further attention in July 2023: praise did not always tell children what they had achieved, and interactions during some planned activities were not sufficiently adapted to different ages and abilities. Those points matter in a setting serving children at different developmental stages.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Village Hall, Nelson Lane, North Muskham, NG23 6HL. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, and the registration pack includes an All About Me form, parent declaration and Tapestry permissions.

During term time, sessions run Monday to Friday. Morning attendance starts at either 8.30am or 9am and ends at noon; afternoons begin at 1pm and finish at either 3.30pm or 4pm. All-day attendance combines an 8.30am or 9am start with a 3.30pm or 4pm finish. The alternative start and finish times allow families to choose between shorter and longer days within the same booking pattern.

Holiday opening is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8.30am to 4pm, excluding Christmas, with the same session options. At least two sessions each week are recommended to support settling and socialising, but this is advice rather than a compulsory minimum booking.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and paid hours are offered. The funding declaration covers universal entitlement, Working Families Childcare Entitlement and funding for two-year-olds from families receiving government support, with eligibility checks forming part of the process. Families receive current prices in the preschool's written quotation.

Snacks are supported by a separate voluntary consumable charge. That contribution also helps cover tissues, wipes, baking ingredients, weekly Caterpillar Music and other additional activities, so it spans both food and non-food supplies.

Moving on to School

The preschool describes close links with Muskham Primary School, including visits to school events and familiarisation visits to its foundation class. These give children opportunities to become comfortable with the school environment. Attendance at the preschool does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Teaching across different stages. In July 2023, clearer praise and better adaptation of planned activities were improvement priorities. At a visit, ask how staff now explain achievements and adjust activities for younger and older children.
• Holiday coverage. Term-time attendance runs Monday to Friday, while holiday opening is confined to Tuesdays and Thursdays and excludes Christmas. Families needing care throughout the working week should weigh that difference alongside the morning, afternoon and all-day options.
• Starting at 18 months. The preschool accepts children from 18 months and recommends at least two weekly sessions to help them settle. Ask how initial visits and the settling routine would be arranged for your child.

Muskham Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as all-day attendance, especially those who value language support, music and involvement in a parent-managed setting. Language for Life, weekly Caterpillar Music and school familiarisation visits give its offer useful substance.

The Good judgement from July 2023 provides a dated assessment of quality, with clear teaching priorities to discuss. Its attendance choices are a strength for families building care around part-days; the narrower holiday schedule is the practical qualification.