Digby Village Pre School

A classroom inside Digby Church of England Primary School gives this village preschool a recognisable character: children can use the school hall and outdoor play areas, while school life provides a practical backdrop to their next step. Digby Village Pre School has capacity for 20 children in total. This is a whole-setting figure, rather than a promise about the size of any group.

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged two to four. The detail beneath that judgement matters: hands-on experiments, everyday responsibilities and contact with local residents gave children reasons to talk, cooperate and try things for themselves.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings are offered, alongside Breakfast club and After Preschool club. The preschool operates as a charity with a volunteer committee; surplus income goes back into equipment and toys.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care, with children learning through play and exploration. Here, storytelling, music, creative activities and outdoor play give that framework a practical shape. These are opportunities to develop communication, imagination and social skills through things children do, rather than through formal lessons.

In September 2024, a bubbling science experiment brought several kinds of learning together. Children handled vinegar, baking soda and food colouring themselves, then talked about the reaction and measured its height. Pouring, squeezing and spooning made this a physical task as well as a scientific one. Staff introduced vocabulary connected to what children could see, giving new words an immediate meaning.

Books also invited participation. During September 2024, children selected stories, joined in with readings and discussed what was happening. There was a clear limitation, however: adults sometimes crowded their questioning and moved on before children had enough thinking time. The issue was the pace of the conversation, rather than a lack of opportunities to speak.

Outdoor and Community Life

Access to the primary school's outdoor play areas and hall extends the preschool beyond its classroom. That is a useful physical distinction for families comparing the spaces children can use during their day.

In September 2024, pedal bicycles supported both movement and imaginative play. Older children created a pretend petrol stop, taking turns to fill their vehicles and pay; younger children experimented with moving bicycles using their feet. The same resource therefore supported different stages of physical development, with children contributing their own ideas to the game.

Community activity had a tangible purpose. During September 2024, children made pictures and baked cakes to take to nearby residents. Kindness became something they could do for another person. Separately, Dinky DigBees Playgroup brings parents and children together on Friday mornings, from 9am to 10.30am, for ages zero to four; its activities support play and communication while giving families time together.

Daily responsibilities were woven into ordinary routines in September 2024. Children washed their snack pots, helped prepare the table and used a self-care station for tissues. These small jobs gave them practice in looking after themselves and contributing to the group, rather than leaving every task to an adult.

Sharing was taught through a concrete tool. In September 2024, children used a timer to manage turns with resources, finding their friend when it was time to swap. The timer helped children understand when to give another child a turn.

Communication with families combined personal handovers and an online app in September 2024. Parents had a key-person relationship, and updates covered children's learning and development. The improvement priority was more specific than simply increasing contact: families needed clearer guidance on how to build on that learning at home.

At the September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that collaboration between staff, the local school and external professionals helped children prepare for school, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. At the time of the September 2024 inspection, preschool children regularly joined school assemblies and sports day, making school routines and surroundings more familiar before the move.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is based at the Church of England Primary School on Church Street, Digby, Lincoln, LN4 3LZ. Its main opening hours are 8.50am to 2.50pm, Monday to Friday.

Morning sessions run from 8.50am to 11.50am; afternoons run from 11.50am to 2.50pm. A full-day booking covers 8.50am to 2.50pm, and half-day bookings are also offered. These choices suit different routines: a shorter session provides part-day attendance, while the full day joins the two parts together.

Breakfast club starts at 7.45am, and After Preschool club finishes at 4pm. Breakfast includes fruit with cereal or toast; the later club includes an activity and a snack. In September 2024, the preschool operated during term time only. Enquiries can be made through its contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can use up to 30 government funded hours a week. Paid half-day and full-day sessions are also offered; families should obtain a current written quotation for prices. Eligibility remains a condition of the funded offer, rather than a promise that every child receives the same entitlement.

Moving on to School

The preschool describes a close relationship with Digby C of E Primary School and shares its premises. Familiarity with a school is useful preparation, but attending this preschool does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Time to answer. In September 2024, children sometimes received several questions before they could respond. On a visit, ask how practitioners now give children space to think and finish their ideas.
• Learning beyond preschool. September 2024 handovers and app updates did not consistently equip parents to extend learning at home. Ask for an example of the practical guidance families now receive.
• The cost of your pattern. Funded hours, paid sessions and the two wraparound clubs are different parts of the offer. When discussing a booking, ask for a written breakdown covering meals, non-food consumables and any charges attached to funded attendance.

Digby suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those wanting a full preschool day with wraparound options. Its school setting gives the offer a clear identity, and the September 2024 account supplies concrete examples of children experimenting, taking responsibility and contributing to village life.

The two teaching and communication priorities deserve attention: children need time to answer, and parents need useful ideas for continuing learning at home. For families who value a preschool day connected to school surroundings and practical play, those are focused questions to weigh alongside the Good judgement.