Bobtails Full Day Care

Books, woodland play and a parent committee give Bobtails Full Day Care its character. Based in the grounds of Lipson Vale Primary School in Plymouth's Lipson area, it combines freely chosen play with planned activities, an outdoor space children can use during sessions and a key person for each child. Parents have a role beyond receiving updates: they can help shape the setting through its elected committee.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Bobtails Good and found safeguarding effective, with an ambitious curriculum that helped children make progress. There were also clear priorities for improvement: richer conversations to develop vocabulary, and more opportunities to explore cultural and religious differences.

There are 40 places in total, with the current early-years age range running from 24 to 60 months; the wider service includes clubs for children aged 2 to 11. Morning and afternoon nursery sessions sit alongside a nursery day, breakfast care, after-school care and holiday provision. That breadth matters for families whose childcare needs change between preschool, school days and holidays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning, development and care: children build language, social understanding, physical skills and early literacy and mathematics through their activities. Staff plan together each week, covering these areas alongside creativity and understanding the world. This is the educational foundation; Bobtails' own character comes through its books, play spaces and outdoor experiences.

The Book Corner combines freely accessible books with story sacks, while six core books return in weekly planning. Repetition gives children time to become familiar with stories rather than meeting each one only once. In June 2024, children joined in with familiar passages during group reading, and activities linked stories with hands-on exploration. A book lending library extended access to reading, while the outdoor Book Nook provided a quieter place to enjoy books.

The Mark Making Area stays accessible throughout sessions and changes in response to children's interests. It gives drawing and early writing a place within ordinary play. Elsewhere, the Home Corner and Role Play Area changes with planned themes: previous versions have included a veterinary surgery and a fruit-and-vegetable shop. These settings provide reasons to talk, imagine and work out how familiar situations operate.

A sensory area brings together textures, sounds, smells and objects for exploration. Technology has its own place too, including a BBOT that children programme. The emphasis is on choosing and using resources: toys are positioned so children can reach them, and indoor spaces can be rearranged for different activities. Soft safety flooring also makes cleaning straightforward.

Outdoor and Community Life

Woodland garden areas are part of the nursery day, and children can choose indoor or outdoor play during sessions. That gives movement and exploration room alongside quieter activities. In June 2024, outdoor learning included leaf rubbings, stories about woodland animals, running, steps and a slide.

The minibus supports outings for preschool children during term time as well as holiday trips. Holiday Club, the school-holiday provision, has its own weekly plan shaped by children's interests, with daily craft work, messy play and choices about participation. It also runs two trips a week, with destinations including Bovisand beach, Mount Edgecombe and The Hoe. These belong to the holiday offer; they should not be read as the preschool's weekly trip schedule.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who supports learning and monitors progress. Home Visits, offered as part of settling in, give the child an opportunity to meet that practitioner while parents share information in familiar surroundings.

Termly meetings with the key person provide a regular point for discussing development. Before attendance begins, families complete a registration form, and a child-specific collection password forms part of the collection arrangements. A quiet area is also set aside for naps, allowing rest to sit within a setting that includes active and imaginative play.

In June 2024, everyday routines gave children practical responsibilities: toddlers selected snack food using tongs, and children helped clear up after eating. Staff also offered choices during care routines, including the timing of a nappy change when a child was occupied. These examples show independence being practised through small decisions and manageable tasks.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, supported by knowledgeable SEND leadership, guidance for staff and links with professional agencies. The team includes a Head SENCO role, giving families a defined point of responsibility for additional needs. The settling visit and key-person meetings provide practical opportunities to discuss an individual child's support.

Children may bring a packed lunch or have a separately charged hot meal prepared in the Lipson Vale Primary School kitchen. Morning and afternoon snacks include fruit and vegetables, and families are asked to tell staff about special dietary needs.

In June 2024, a daily toothbrushing routine supported dental care. Together with snack choices and help with clearing away, this gave health and self-care a place in the ordinary day.

Sessions and Attendance

Bobtails is at Bernice Terrace, Lipson, Plymouth, PL4 7HW. It opens Monday to Friday, from 7.45am to 5pm, for 50 weeks each year. The nursery day runs from 9am to 3pm, with separate morning sessions from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 9am and serves children aged 2 to 11, with breakfast and activities before preschool or school. After School Club runs from 3pm to 5pm. Staff escort children to Lipson Vale Primary School in the morning and collect them after school; junior children can cross the playground themselves with parental permission. This arrangement is useful where siblings need care around the same school day.

Holiday Club offers morning sessions from 9am to 1pm, afternoon sessions from 1pm to 5pm and a full day from 9am to 5pm. Trip information usually accompanies booking forms three weeks before each half term. General enquiries go to the childcare manager or committee on 01752 225271.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2024, Bobtails provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Paid nursery sessions and club sessions are also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; hot lunches carry a separate charge, with a packed lunch as the alternative. That lunch choice belongs in the family's practical comparison of attendance costs.

Moving on to School

Sharing grounds with Lipson Vale Primary School creates a practical connection, including school collection and meals from its kitchen. Attending Bobtails does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process, so childcare arrangements and the school application need to be considered separately.

• Language and cultural learning. In June 2024, staff sometimes supplied answers to their own questions rather than extending children's conversation, and learning about religions, cultures, similarities and differences needed further development. On a visit, ask how those two priorities now influence activities and adult interaction.
• Choose the attendance pattern. Nursery mornings, afternoons and the 9am to 3pm day serve different routines, while breakfast and after-school care extend the day. Discuss how the preferred combination would work for your child, including time for rest.
• Dietary needs and lunch choices. Hot lunches come from the school kitchen and are charged separately; children can bring packed lunches instead. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice and how dietary information follows the child between meals and snacks.
• A shared site is not a school place. Lipson Vale Primary School is connected to daily logistics, but Bobtails attendance does not guarantee Reception admission. Keep the local authority application alongside childcare planning.

Bobtails suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as a nursery day, with breakfast, after-school and holiday care useful for wider family routines. Its strongest practical details are the key-person relationship, offered home visits, accessible play areas and opportunities to use the outdoors during sessions. Books have a clear place in both planned learning and free choice.

The June 2024 Good judgement gives this offer an inspection anchor, while the language and cultural-learning priorities keep the assessment balanced. For parents who want a voice in the setting, the committee structure adds another reason to consider Bobtails: participation can extend to decisions about how it runs.