Discovery Vine Childcare Centre, Cottam Pre-School, Before & After School Club

A separate childcare building within Cottam Primary School’s grounds gives this setting a clear identity: preschool education alongside care before and after school and a holiday club. The preschool accepts children from two, with the current early-years age range extending to five and capacity for 67 children across the setting. That total is a whole-setting measure, rather than the size of a preschool group.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 10 October 2023. Practical learning gives that judgement texture: children explored mathematical ideas with pumpkins, experimented with railway layouts and practised physical challenges outdoors. The school setting also matters for families thinking about the move to Reception, although sharing grounds does not confer a school place.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care, bringing play, communication, physical development and early mathematical ideas into the day. Here, the October 2023 examples show how ordinary objects became teaching materials: pumpkins prompted discussion of quantity, heaviness and dimensions, while songs introduced counting. Mathematics had something children could handle and talk about.

In October 2023, language work included unfamiliar vocabulary and joining letter sounds to read words in books. Story sessions invited children to predict the next part and talk about characters; borrowing books extended those conversations into family time. This connected early reading with the pleasure of sharing a story, rather than treating it solely as a technical exercise.

Construction offered another route into thinking. During October 2023, adults encouraged children to consider alternative railway layouts, giving them a problem with more than one possible solution. Celebrations introduced food, dance and music from different cultures, though broadening children’s knowledge of other people and communities remained an improvement priority.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area supported climbing, jumping and balancing in October 2023. Wheelbarrows became part of builder play, an assault course provided physical challenges, and football gave children opportunities to encourage one another. These examples combine imaginative play with movement and shared activity.

The setting occupies its own building on school grounds. That is a concrete distinction from care delivered in a borrowed school hall, and places the preschool and its out-of-school provision on the same site.

Settling received close attention in October 2023, with information from parents helping staff understand children’s interests. This gave adults a starting point for planning experiences that a new child might recognise and enjoy. Parents also received accounts of their child’s time there and could attend parents’ evenings, creating opportunities to discuss children’s experiences and learning.

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the early identification and targeted support that helped children with SEND make good progress. The practical distinction is early action: support addressed particular learning needs rather than waiting for difficulties to become more established.

In October 2023, children discussed road safety, online safety and using outdoor equipment sensibly. Adults also encouraged independence and supported children as they attempted unfamiliar physical challenges. Care therefore included helping children understand manageable risks, as well as supervising their play.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Cottam Primary School, Haydocks Lane, Cottam, Preston, PR4 0NY. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday, across the year. Preschool operates alongside before-school, after-school and holiday provision, so the setting serves different stages of family life.

Funding and Moving On

In October 2023, the setting provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain a current written quotation for prices.

The preschool’s position within Cottam Primary School’s grounds makes the Reception distinction important. Attending this preschool does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process. In October 2023, staff worked with the host school and external professionals, and children practised skills relevant to starting school. Those relationships support preparation, rather than providing an admissions advantage.

• Assessment and broader experiences. The October 2023 improvement priorities were to use assessment information more effectively in planning children’s next learning steps and deepen their understanding of people and communities beyond familiar experiences. On a visit, ask for a recent example of how each priority has shaped preschool activities.
• The full cost of attendance. Preschool, before-school, after-school and holiday care serve different needs here. Ask for a written booking proposal that sets out the funded-hours arrangement, additional paid hours, food and non-food consumables for the pattern your family needs.
• School-site convenience. The childcare building is within Cottam Primary School’s grounds. Treat the preschool decision and the Reception application as separate decisions: attendance does not secure a school place.

This setting suits families seeking preschool education from age two, as well as those needing before-school or after-school care, with holiday provision on the same site. Its strongest educational detail comes from October 2023: mathematical exploration with real objects, shared reading and outdoor challenges that gave children something purposeful to attempt. The assessment and community-learning priorities deserve attention alongside those strengths. Choose it for the childcare and preschool experience, with a separate plan for Reception admissions.