Wollaton Park Preschool

Acorns and Oaks combine age-related activities with shared outdoor play, giving Wollaton Park Preschool a balance between separate learning and time together. A vegetable patch adds another dimension: growing food becomes a starting point for teamwork and conversations about eating well. This is play with practical purpose.

Based at Kingswood Church Hall on Lambourne Drive in Nottingham, the preschool caters for two-, three- and four-year-olds and has 35 places in total. At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and judged safeguarding effective. The principal improvement point concerned closer oversight of staff practice, rather than a change to the preschool's activities or facilities.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day options plus breakfast club. That combination gives families several ways to organise a preschool week.

Rooms and Ages

Acorns takes children under three, with changing daily activities built around exploration and play; Oaks continues that changing activity pattern, with play that encourages independence and confidence, once children are ready to move around their third birthday. Readiness matters alongside age. The move is therefore a developmental step rather than simply a date on the calendar.

Outside, the rooms come together. Scooters, a play house and climbing equipment support movement and imaginative games, while sand/water tables give children materials to investigate. Cushioned, non-slip flooring covers a large open area. The shared space gives younger and older children opportunities to play alongside one another while retaining their separate indoor bases.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for learning, development and care: here, learning through play means activities can build language, movement, social skills and independence together. The small vegetable patch connects that learning with something tangible, helping children consider where food comes from and work together as they grow it.

In January 2024, children investigated ice using tools, with staff introducing language about its properties as they worked. Storytelling combined expressive reading with movement and actions. These examples show how conversation can grow out of an activity rather than sit apart from it.

Number work also extended beyond a table. In January 2024, children searched outside for hidden numbers and matched their discoveries to numerals, while counting formed part of bringing the group indoors. An obstacle course gave them opportunities to practise balance and coordination, with staff helping them attempt manageable physical challenges. Learning involved doing, talking and trying again.

Relationships and Communication

A key worker is allocated from the first visit. Regular reviews and discussions keep parents involved in their child's development, giving the relationship a practical role as well as a familiar adult for the child. Parents can also speak with that worker about care or seek advice about learning and development.

In January 2024, everyday routines provided opportunities to practise independence: children served themselves snacks, washed their hands and put away their belongings. Staff encouraged persistence with outdoor clothing, and children sought comfort when they wanted a rest. These are useful examples of how reassurance and growing independence can coexist within the preschool day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those learning English as an additional language, received targeted support through observations, developmental tracking and plans agreed with parents and other professionals, helping them make progress. This gives families a concrete picture of the support process at that time, rather than a broad promise about inclusion.

Health education appeared in play too. In January 2024, staff used toothbrush activities to discuss dental care, and children had outdoor play each day. The approach linked healthy habits to experiences children could understand and practise.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to midday, and afternoon sessions from midday to 3pm. A full day runs from 9am to 3pm; children can also start at 8.15am, when breakfast club begins, with the club continuing until 9am. There is an option to add an hour of lunch club after the morning session. These are separate booking choices, so a shorter preschool day is part of the offer.

The preschool follows Nottingham City Council's school holidays and adds its own inset days. Parents receive advance notice of those days, generally at the beginning of the year. Families whose work continues through school holidays need to plan around that term-time calendar.

For care beyond preschool sessions, staff can supply a list of local childminders who offer collection and drop-off. That provides a possible connection to another care arrangement rather than extending the preschool's own day. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

Getting There

The address is Kingswood Church Hall, Lambourne Drive, Nottingham NG8 1GR. There is no catchment restriction, so families can consider the preschool regardless of where they live.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes 15 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, and up to 30 hours weekly for qualifying working families. Eligible two-year-olds can also receive funding. Entitlements are delivered during term time, alongside paid sessions; childcare vouchers and Tax Free Childcare payments are accepted.

Breakfast is included in the breakfast-club charge, while children staying for the day bring a packed lunch. Request a written quotation for current prices; the sessions and fees page sets out the attendance choices and funding arrangements.

• Staff oversight. In January 2024, the improvement priority was to strengthen monitoring so gaps in practitioners' knowledge and teaching were identified. At a visit, ask how staff observation and feedback now work.
• The term-time calendar. School holidays and preschool inset days interrupt attendance. Compare those dates with your working week, especially if you intend to combine sessions with a childminder.
• Moving from Acorns to Oaks. The room change takes account of readiness around age three. Ask how the key worker prepares a child for that move and involves parents.

Wollaton Park Preschool suits families seeking term-time mornings, afternoons or full days, with an earlier breakfast-club start when needed. Its appeal lies in the combination of separate age-related rooms, shared outdoor play and a key worker relationship that includes regular parent discussions.

The January 2024 Good judgement sits alongside a specific staff-monitoring improvement point. For parents, that makes teaching oversight a useful visit topic, while the vegetable patch, practical play and flexible session choices give clear reasons to consider the preschool.