Branston Little Pickles Pre-School

A mud kitchen for messy exploration and the Pickles Pod for quieter small-group time give Branston Little Pickles Pre-School two quite different ways to play. This charity-run setting in Branston combines a classroom, a large outdoor area and sheltered outdoor space, with children's interests helping shape activities. There is room for energetic discovery and a calmer pace.

Children attend from age two until school age, and the setting has capacity for 24 children in total. At its June 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions run during term time, making the pre-school relevant to families seeking shorter sessions as well as a school-length day.

Volunteer trustees oversee the charity, and money generated goes towards running and improving its settings. Parents can become involved in that work, giving the community character a practical expression beyond the classroom.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework: children develop communication, early mathematical understanding and creative expression through learning and play. At Little Pickles, their interests help determine planned themes and activities, while staff support exploration and give children time to develop their own ideas.

Loose parts play uses open-ended materials rather than resources with a single prescribed purpose. Natural materials are part of the environment, and practitioners encourage children to think through what they are doing. For parents who value child-led activity, the useful detail is the emphasis on extending children's ideas and protecting stretches of play from interruption.

Songs and nursery rhymes include actions, and occasional flute accompaniment adds live music to children's singing. This gives music a place in ordinary activity rather than relying solely on a special event. Speech and language interventions also form part of the current offer, linking everyday communication with additional targeted support.

Outdoor and Community Life

The classroom is complemented by a large outdoor area and a canopy-covered space. Outdoor play continues across the seasons, with coats and wellies needed for rain and the mud kitchen. The Pickles Pod provides a quieter setting for smaller groups, so outdoor activity and calmer play both have a physical home.

In November 2024, activities reported for that year included visits to Woodside Care Home, an encounter with local firefighters and their engine, and a visit from Little Lincoln, a role-play centre supporting imaginative play. These experiences brought people and situations beyond the pre-school into children's learning.

That year's activities also included observing chicken eggs to explore life cycles, Sports Day and the introduction of Spanish lessons. These are examples from that period, rather than a fixed timetable of recurring sessions. Together, they show how learning has extended beyond classroom resources into living things, movement and encounters with the wider community.

Relationships and Communication

Pre-visits are offered to every child before starting, allowing families and staff to begin building relationships. Key workers communicate with parents through an online learning journal and parents' evenings; monthly newsletters carry updates, while stay-and-play opportunities let parents spend time alongside their children in the setting. Communication therefore includes both written updates and shared time.

Settling was adapted to individual children during the year described in November 2024. Families were offered unlimited taster sessions, alongside drop-in discussions about settling and a parents' evening to discuss development. That dated example gives substance to the pre-school's use of visits before a child starts.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

When additional support needs are identified, staff work with parents and can arrange appointments with support networks on request. The team includes speech and language support experience, and practitioners deliver language interventions within the setting. These are specific mechanisms for support, rather than a general promise about every child's experience.

A morning snack is provided, while families supply a packed lunch and water bottle. Parents also bring nappies and wipes when needed, together with spare clothes; this makes preparation for lunch, changing and messy play part of the home routine.

Concerns can be raised with the manager or chair, with a written complaint stage if an informal discussion does not resolve matters. The procedure includes written records and a further meeting stage, giving parents a defined route for raising problems.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Pickles operates Monday to Friday in term time. The morning session runs from 9am to noon, the afternoon from noon to 3pm, and the full day from 9am to 3pm. The application form sets a minimum booking of two sessions and lets families indicate preferred mornings and afternoons across the week.

Pre-school wraparound options include a breakfast session and after-school care ending at either 4.30pm or 6pm. These extend the attendance choices beyond the main pre-school day. Applications for the Little Pickles waitlist are made by completing the form and emailing it to info@little-pickles.com.

Getting There

The setting shares the Branston C of E Infant Academy site on Beech Road, Branston, LN4 1PR. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

During the year described in November 2024, transition work included sharing children's developmental information with infant-school staff and arranging additional classroom visits for children needing extra support. That is preparation for moving on, rather than an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded places cover the 15 hours and 30 hours entitlements, with attendance delivered during term time. Private sessions are also offered, and payment can be made by bank transfer, childcare vouchers or Tax Free Childcare accounts. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the hours and fees page sets out the attendance choices and charge structure.

Snack charges and a monthly suncream charge are optional extras. Lunch comes from home, as do nappies and wipes when required, so food and non-food supplies have different arrangements rather than a single inclusive package. Uniform is optional too.

• Term-time planning. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions fit different weekly routines, but the pre-school closes for school holidays. Families needing holiday childcare will need to plan around that calendar.
• The two-session minimum. The application form requires at least two sessions. At a visit, discuss how your preferred pattern would work with the pre-visits and your child's settling needs.
• Preparing for the day. Packed lunches, changing supplies and outdoor clothing come from home, while snack and suncream charges are optional. This creates a practical packing routine alongside the attendance decision.

Little Pickles suits families looking for term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting the full pre-school day with wraparound options. Its clearest attractions are tangible: open-ended play materials, outdoor space with shelter, the quieter Pickles Pod and several ways for parents to stay involved. The June 2021 Good judgement provides a dated inspection reference; the current choice rests on whether this child-led approach and attendance pattern fit your family.