Stepping Stones Pre-School

A preschool garden, access to a school playing field and large windows facing the outdoors give Stepping Stones Pre-School a clear character: play here reaches beyond the indoor space. Based in Claverham on the Court de Wyck Church School site, it takes children aged two to five. Its own early-years space combines outdoor exploration with stories, practical tasks and opportunities to make choices.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective, with supportive relationships and productive partnerships helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That judgement is dated. The improvement priorities concerned how group activities included children with different levels of understanding and how consistently staff used resources to support attention and routines.

Term-time opening makes this a setting to consider for families whose childcare needs follow the school calendar. Its strongest practical appeal is the connection between indoor play and outdoor exploration, alongside preparation for the everyday independence children need as they approach school.

Rooms and Ages

Toddlers covers the two-to-three age group, with an emphasis on choosing activities and beginning to make decisions; Pre-school Children covers ages three to four, with exploration and independence leading towards school readiness. Younger and older children also mix during play. These are age-group arrangements within a shared setting, so the day includes contact across stages rather than keeping every experience separate.

Large windows face the garden and field, and the indoor space has straightforward outdoor access. A comfy corner gives stories a quieter place in the day, while singing and gentle music provide a change of pace. The environment accommodates rest as well as activity. For a child who needs a pause between busier experiences, that balance matters.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught through play: children explore movement, coordination, imagination and the world around them. It is the shared early-years framework, while the branch's Play-Based, Child Led curriculum places additional emphasis on outdoor experiences and children's choices.

After the morning snack, preschool children work in smaller groups with a key worker on activities shaped around their interests and development. Construction, role play and small-world activities sit alongside messy materials such as water, sand and dough. This gives children different ways to investigate an idea, from building something to acting out a story or exploring how a material behaves.

In November 2021, dough-making brought together prediction, descriptive language and mathematical problems about sharing. Children also encountered herbs in the mixture. The same activity exposed a limitation: its popularity left children waiting, and quieter or less verbal children had fewer chances to contribute. The useful distinction for parents is between an appealing activity and one organised so each child can take part meaningfully.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor Learning involves exploring natural materials and noticing changes across the seasons, with outdoor play each day where possible. The preschool garden connects with the school playing field, garden and park areas. These spaces give physical play and observation of nature room to develop on a different scale from indoor activities.

Collected objects also become materials for creative work inside, and children can recount their outdoor adventures. That connection gives an outing beyond the room a second life through making and conversation. Daily responsibilities include tending plants, helping prepare snacks and putting materials away, bringing care for the surroundings into ordinary routines.

Relationships and Communication

Communication with families is built into collection time: staff give a daily account of eating and activities and can discuss concerns. That is useful for connecting home and preschool, especially when a child's account of the day is brief or selective.

In November 2021, parents contributed monthly updates about learning at home, while staff shared observations gathered during children's focus weeks. This linked planning to experiences beyond the setting. Children also practised manageable tasks such as pouring drinks and peeling fruit, making independence something to rehearse rather than simply an expectation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Staff aim to follow the family's toilet-training approach, offering guidance and consistent messages. They encourage families to consider whether both parent and child are ready to begin.

In November 2021, staff explained nappy changes as they happened and encouraged children to help dress themselves afterwards. Children received advance warning before tidying up, allowing time to finish play or preserve what they had made. These were practical ways of treating children as participants in their care and daily routines.

Support also needs to reach group experiences. In November 2021, resources intended to help children concentrate and follow routines were used inconsistently. This matters alongside the positive relationships: a child can enjoy the setting and still need more deliberate support to participate in an activity.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Stepping Stones operates for 38 weeks each year and closes on English Bank Holidays and from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day, inclusive. The calendar suits families seeking preschool alongside school terms; holiday childcare needs separate planning.

Enquiries go directly to the setting by telephone or email. Current prices come through a written quotation from the nursery, and places are subject to its terms and conditions.

Getting There

The address is Court De Wyck School, Bishops Road, Claverham, Bristol, BS49 4NF. Preschool provision occupies its own early-years space on the school site, with connections to the outdoor school grounds.

Funding and Paid Extras

Stepping Stones accepts the Nursery Education Grant for children from the term after their third birthday. Provision follows the term-time calendar. Funding participation and the cost of privately paid childcare are separate parts of the financial decision.

Preparation for school includes encouraging children to manage coats and shoes and use the toilet independently. Teachers are invited to visit, and a member of staff liaises with each child's onward school. Attending this preschool does not guarantee a Reception place at Court de Wyck Church School; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Participation in group play. The November 2021 improvement priorities covered inclusion in group activities and consistent use of attention-support resources. During a visit, ask how quieter children contribute and how staff adapt activities for different needs.
• Outdoor routines. Children explore natural materials and spend time outdoors across different weather conditions. Ask how the indoor and outdoor parts of the day work for your child and what clothing to bring.
• Term-time planning and costs. The 38-week calendar leaves school holidays outside the preschool year. Ask for a written quotation covering your intended attendance, funded hours, food and non-food consumables.
• School-site expectations. Teacher visits and liaison support the move to school, but attending preschool does not secure a Reception place. Keep the school application separate from the childcare decision.

Stepping Stones suits families seeking term-time preschool for a child aged two to five, with outdoor exploration and practical independence prominent in the day. The garden, school grounds and easy outdoor access give that approach a concrete setting, while shared play lets toddlers and preschool children learn alongside one another.

The Good judgement from November 2021 provides a dated quality assessment, alongside specific improvement priorities about participation and support during group activities. For families choosing now, the decisive question is how those everyday arrangements work for their child. The setting's appeal rests on play, outdoor experiences and preparation for school life, with the term-time calendar central to the choice.