Stanwick Pre-school

A village-hall playgroup with a hands-on streak: Stanwick Pre-school puts construction, imaginative play and outdoor exploration into the ordinary nursery day. Its committee includes community volunteers who help make decisions, raise funds and organise events. That gives families a route into the running of the setting as well as their child's learning.

Based at Stanwick Village Hall in Stanwick, it caters for children aged two to four and has capacity for 26 children. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall. Morning and afternoon sessions provide different attendance options during term time.

The strongest practical detail is the connection between play and communication. Children can use appointment books in role play, discuss their constructions and contribute family photographs to personalised books. Learning has something concrete to work from.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, covering children's communication, physical development, relationships and wider learning. Here, activities connect those areas rather than keeping mathematics or language at a separate table: counting train carriages, comparing play dough creations and experimenting with water become opportunities to talk and investigate.

Free Flow Activities let children move toys and materials between areas. Staff observe what children do and use those observations to plan their next learning steps. The practical value is flexibility: an interest in building can bring in counting, descriptive language and questions about balance during the same activity.

The Construction Zone includes wooden blocks, Lego, Duplo and larger bricks for stacking, balancing and making enclosed spaces. Role Play has both a home corner and a separate area shaped around children's interests; telephone message pads and appointment diaries give early writing a purpose. These are useful details for parents looking for learning embedded in pretend play rather than a succession of adult-led tasks.

Book Corner combines factual books with stories and makes room for children's own experiences. Parents can supply photographs, which staff discuss with the child and turn into a personalised book using the child's words. Familiar experiences become material for conversation and early literacy.

In July 2022, children experimented with water and made predictions about objects sinking or floating; colour work introduced more precise vocabulary. However, some activities needed more demanding follow-up from staff. The improvement request was to extend children's thinking during both planned activities and everyday routines, rather than settle for their initial response.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outside Area is used across different weather conditions, with sand, water and resources for construction and imaginative play. Children practise managing coats and wellingtons themselves. The Large Physical Skills Area adds a climbing frame, balance beam and equipment for moving and balancing, giving physical play a clear place in the offer.

The annual summer trip is organised jointly by staff and the committee. Cardboard day uses boxes and other cardboard materials for invented stories and props; Bugs and Bacteria day explores how germs spread and why handwashing matters. These activities add different scales of experience: a trip beyond the setting, imaginative work with simple materials and a practical explanation of hygiene.

In July 2022, outdoor play included balancing on stepping stones, using the slide and examining toy insects with magnifying glasses. Those examples show the inspection-era combination of movement and close observation, rather than outdoor time serving only as a break from indoor activities.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who maintains their Learning Journey. Parents can see these records online through the tapestry learning journey platform, discuss them with staff and contribute experiences from home. An annual parents evening provides another opportunity to talk through development. The arrangement gives families both an ongoing record and a scheduled conversation.

In July 2022, staff gathered information from parents about children's existing abilities before planning activities, and shared assessments with families. They also passed reports to children's schools to support the move to the next stage. This was transition work through information sharing, rather than a claim about access to any particular school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, described positive relationships between children and staff, and found that learning gaps were identified and support put in place.

In July 2022, children talked about emotions during play and practised considering other children's feelings, including whether friends enjoyed being splashed. Snack-time tasks included spreading crackers themselves. Independence was being practised through ordinary routines.

In July 2022, staff did not teach children to identify healthy foods and did not consistently explain why hygiene routines mattered. Staff performance monitoring also needed to become more established so teaching was consistently demanding. Those points concern the substance of the child's experience, not merely administration.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Stanwick Village Hall, Spencer Parade, Stanwick, NN9 6QJ. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the setting closes for school holidays and bank holidays. Families needing holiday childcare will therefore need a separate arrangement for those periods.

Morning Session runs from 9am to noon, Afternoon Session from 1pm to 3pm, and Lunch Club from noon to 1pm. These are separate named options, so lunch is an important part of planning attendance across the middle of the day. Morning sessions run Monday to Friday; the weekday position for afternoons and lunch needs resolving before a booking is agreed.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. The session structure gives families a shorter morning option as well as afternoon attendance, rather than requiring every child to attend throughout the opening window.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour offer for three- and four-year-olds, starting the term after their third birthday, the 30 hours funding scheme and funding for eligible two-year-olds. Private sessions are also offered, and Tax-free Childcare is accepted. Eligibility conditions apply to funding; participation in a scheme does not itself establish a child's entitlement.

Parents supply a packed lunch for Lunch Club, while the morning session provides a light snack. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to compare the cost of their intended attendance pattern alongside funded hours.

• Weekdays for lunch and afternoons. The session table gives Monday-to-Friday attendance for both, while the home page and daily routine give fewer days. Confirm the agreed weekday pattern before arranging work or other childcare around it.
• Teaching beyond the first answer. July 2022 improvement points covered extending learning, explaining healthy choices and hygiene, and monitoring teaching. On a visit, ask how staff now build on a child's response and explain the reasons behind everyday routines.
• Term-time fit. Closures include school holidays and bank holidays. Families needing continuous childcare should account for those breaks when assessing the session options.
• Packed-lunch arrangements. Lunch Club requires food from home. Ask how dietary needs and allergies are managed within that shared lunch routine.

Stanwick suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or afternoon attendance, with Lunch Club forming a separate part of the day. Its appeal lies in concrete play resources, a key-person relationship and opportunities for parents to contribute to learning and committee life.

The July 2022 Good judgement gives a positive inspection position, but the requests for more challenging teaching and clearer health explanations deserve attention. For parents who value construction, imaginative play and outdoor activity in a village setting, there is plenty here to weigh against the weekday booking question and holiday closures.