Cambo Wraparound

A conservatory, school grounds and a wooded area give Cambo Wraparound a clear identity: preschool life here has space for outdoor exploration and familiarity with the school environment. It operates within Cambo First School in Cambo, near Morpeth, but remains a separate charitable preschool rather than a school nursery. The setting has 30 places in total.

Ofsted rated Cambo Wraparound Outstanding on 1 July 2024 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The detail behind that judgement is engaging: children investigated magnets, made mixtures with herbs and flowers, and helped care for animals in neighbouring woodland. Practical exploration ran through the day.

Preschool welcomes children aged two, three and four, with term-time attendance and afterschool care providing different ways to use the setting.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play, with observations helping staff plan the next steps for each child. This is the framework for early education, rather than an extra programme. At Cambo, parents can contribute their own observations alongside those made during preschool sessions, connecting experiences at home with learning in the setting.

In July 2024, activities gave children problems to solve rather than simply instructions to follow. They explored how to release a spoon caught in a bottle and tested objects in water to discover which would sink. Magnets and a fan introduced further experiments with materials. These examples show opportunities to try an idea, see what happens and adjust it.

Early reading had equally concrete foundations that July. Children explored how books work, recalled stories and clapped syllables. Tractor magazines brought print into an interest children already enjoyed. Staff also left spaces in songs and stories for children to contribute, introducing vocabulary and using signing to support communication.

Outdoor and Community Life

The preschool uses a conservatory and wraparound room, with access to the school hall and occasional use of classrooms. Outside, children have their own area as well as access to the school playground, climbing frames, field and wooded area. Outdoor play takes place daily, including in wet weather, so suitable clothing matters more than the voluntary uniform.

In July 2024, children helped with pigs and chickens in the adjacent woodland, gathering eggs and using them for counting. Village walks introduced different kinds of homes. These were practical encounters with animals, numbers and the local community, rather than learning confined to indoor activities.

Physical exploration also took several forms that July. Larger equipment and obstacle courses encouraged climbing and balance; yoga and gymnastics involved stretching and coordination. Pipettes, scoops and scissors gave smaller hand movements their own place in the day.

Relationships and Communication

The Key Person System assigns a practitioner to support each child’s settling, learning and progress reviews. That person is also the parent’s first contact. A familiar adult therefore connects the child’s daily experience with conversations about development, rather than leaving families to start afresh with a different person each time.

Tapestry Learning Journals are online records containing photographs, observations and comments. Parents can receive email alerts when entries are added and contribute their own pictures, videos and observations. This gives families a concrete way to follow learning and add context from home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for additional needs can involve speech therapists, physiotherapists, portage and health visitors. The approach begins with understanding the child and family, then adapting sessions and involving other services where appropriate. At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff knew children closely, planned around their individual learning needs and had experience coordinating support with education and health professionals.

In July 2024, children practised everyday independence by brushing their teeth and replenishing their water bottles. Staff used specific praise to help children recognise what they had achieved. On the riding track, children waited for turns and helped friends tackle the uphill stretch: cooperation had a practical purpose.

Sessions and Attendance

Preschool operates Monday to Friday during term time, from 9am to 3pm, with doors opening at 8.45am. Fee-paying attendance is charged in three-hour sessions or part sessions. The preschool opens for 38 weeks, with holidays generally following local schools; this is an important fit question for families whose working year extends beyond school terms.

Afterschool welcomes children aged three to nine. It runs until 6pm from Monday to Thursday and until 5.30pm on Friday. School-aged children start at 3.15pm, while preschool children can start at 3pm. Booking is through direct contact with the setting. Children can choose activities such as board games, crafts, outdoor play and role play alongside adult-led sessions.

Breakfast Club is run by Cambo School, and advance booking is not required. Its finishing time needs clarification before families build it into their routine.

Getting There

The address is Cambo First School, Cambo, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 4BE. A footpath leads from the car park to the preschool and is accessible to wheelchair users.

The nursery describes strong links with Cambo First School, and using shared spaces helps children become familiar with school surroundings. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside fee-paying preschool attendance, with support covering eligible two-year-olds and working-family entitlement of up to 30 hours for eligible children aged two, three or four. Preschool attendance is term-time. Eligibility conditions apply, so these are routes to support rather than a promise of entitlement for every family.

Lunch is supplied by Cambo First School and charged separately. Some external trainers, cookery club and themed nights also attract additional charges, with families told beforehand; the fees and sessions page sets out that structure, and current prices belong in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Breakfast timing. The fee timetable gives Breakfast Club as 8am to 9am, while its dedicated information gives 8am to 8.45am. Clarify the finishing time and the handover into preschool before relying on this arrangement.
• The term-time calendar. Preschool operates for 38 weeks and afterschool is term-time only. Match those dates against the childcare your family needs during school holidays.
• Outdoor routines and settling. Daily outdoor play includes wet weather, and a key person supports settling. During a visit, discuss suitable clothing and how that practitioner will introduce your child to the shared spaces.
• The full attendance cost. School-provided lunch is charged separately, as are some afterschool additions. Request a written quotation covering your chosen sessions, food, non-food consumables and any activities your child will use.

Cambo Wraparound suits families seeking term-time preschool sessions, afterschool attendance or breakfast care around the school day. The conservatory, outdoor spaces and connection with Cambo First School give it a recognisable setting, while the key person and online learning journals provide clear links with parents.

Its Outstanding judgement from July 2024 carries substantial detail about practical learning and individual support. The strongest appeal is the combination of hands-on exploration and school familiarity. Families should weigh the term-time calendar and clarify breakfast timing before choosing their attendance pattern.