Downham Pre-School

An original village school building, views towards Pendle and access to grassy hills give Downham Pre-School a clear rural character. Two playrooms and a large enclosed outdoor area form its base in Downham, near Clitheroe. This is a setting where the surroundings offer children room to move, alongside the smaller-scale familiarity of a village pre-school.

There is capacity for 24 children aged two to five. At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The practical emphasis is on growing independence, relationships with a key person and learning that responds to children's interests.

Attendance runs during term time, with full days, mornings and afternoons among the choices. That gives families several ways to use the setting, rather than a single daily commitment.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning here, bringing together children's physical and intellectual development, relationships and growing independence. It is the shared early-years framework, while the individual activities give it substance: play, conversation and manageable tasks help children develop skills at their own pace.

In April 2025, practitioners planned each key child's learning for the term using observations to decide the next skills to develop. Activities followed those decisions, so planning started with the child rather than simply filling a timetable. Children's interests also helped shape what they did.

One painting activity involved gripping objects with pegs and making prints on Easter eggs. It combined creative exploration with the small hand movements needed to squeeze and hold. Conversation mattered too: adults used questions and listened to children's replies, giving them opportunities to explain their thinking rather than merely follow instructions.

Independence was woven through ordinary routines in April 2025. Older children practised managing coats and shoes, toileting and mealtimes. These are useful preparations for school because they give children practical responsibilities they can increasingly handle themselves. Oral-health activities included learning about dentists and trying brushing movements on laminated teeth.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor offer extends beyond the enclosed play area. Access to grass and hills gives children opportunities to roll, crawl and run, making movement part of the setting's character rather than an activity confined to indoor space. The playground also accommodates messy play and exploration.

Past outings show how the surrounding area has been used. A June 2022 village exploration included a sports day in the Hall Gardens and a visit to the Ice Cream shop. In May 2022, a trip to Outdoor Elements involved nettle-soup making, a bug hunt and crossing a wobbly bridge; another trip to Outdoor Elements in Simonstone followed in July 2024. These are examples of previous experiences, rather than a fixed schedule of trips.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker who acts as the main contact for sharing information with parents and takes responsibility for developmental records. Children still spend time with the wider staff team. For families, the useful distinction is having one person who gathers the picture of their child while care involves more than that single relationship.

Developmental records are kept electronically through Iconnect, and parents can view their child's personal records. A quiet space is used for parent discussions. Together, these arrangements give communication both a continuing record and room for a private conversation when something needs more attention.

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements supported children's confidence and emotional wellbeing, and that children with SEND received effective support through collaboration with parents and other professionals. The mechanisms behind that assessment matter: information was shared and used to coordinate targeted help, rather than support resting solely on informal conversations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role and a designated safeguarding lead are part of the staff structure. Practitioners also hold early-years qualifications. These are practical arrangements for organising care and support, rather than assurances about any individual child's experience.

There is a self-regulation area with sensory toys and materials, giving children a place and resources for managing feelings. Security arrangements include a keycode door, identification of visitors and agreed collection permissions; the outside gate is locked during outdoor play.

Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch, while a healthy snack and drink are provided in morning and afternoon sessions with no additional charge. Water is accessible throughout the day, so lunch preparation remains a responsibility for families even when a child attends a full day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Main Street, Downham, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4BN. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the setting closes for school holidays.

Full Day runs from 9am to 3pm, Morning from 9am to 11.30am, and Afternoon from 12.30pm to 3pm. Morning and Lunch is another option, running from 9am to 12.30pm. The lunch period sits between the morning and afternoon sessions, and families may combine the session periods, subject to availability.

This flexibility is useful for children building up attendance as well as families arranging a longer day. It does not extend the opening window: a full day still ends at 3pm. Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form.

The admissions order gives priority to Downham Estate children, then siblings of former pre-school children, then children with SEN, followed by the date their name entered the Admissions Book; special cases are also considered. That is a nursery booking rule, not a school admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid hours are offered during term time. The funding arrangements include 15 free hours from the term after a child's third birthday, regardless of circumstances, and 30 hours for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility for the latter is conditional, so the two entitlements should not be treated as interchangeable.

There are no additional charges. Packed lunches come from home, while session snacks and drinks carry no extra charge; this meal arrangement also applies when using funded hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the term's unfunded hours and total payment set out in writing.

Payments can be made monthly, by half term or for the whole term. Fees remain payable for term-time holidays and school visits before children move on to school, which matters when budgeting for weeks when attendance changes. Tax-free childcare and universal credit childcare payments are accepted.

• Term-time boundaries. The day finishes at 3pm and school holidays are closed periods. Morning, afternoon and full-day choices help with attendance planning, but families need arrangements that also cover those boundaries.
• Staff development. In April 2025, training was not sufficiently shaped by observations of staff practice to extend children's learning further. During a visit, ask how training now translates into richer activities and adult interactions.
• Admissions priorities. Downham Estate children, siblings and children with SEN come ahead of date order. When discussing joining, ask how that sequence applies to your child's intended start.
• Packed-lunch preparation. Lunch comes from home even for full-day attendance. Families managing allergies should discuss current food-handling practice, and ask which non-food supplies they need to bring.

Downham suits families seeking term-time mornings, afternoons or full days in a village setting, with outdoor space and practical independence prominent in the day. Its strongest combination is the original school building, access to grassy surroundings and a clear key-worker structure supported by electronic developmental records.

The April 2025 assessment gives a positive basis for considering it, alongside a specific improvement priority around staff development. The decision is practical as well as educational: a 3pm finish, holiday closures and packed lunches need to fit family life. For those whose routines match, the choice of attendance patterns is a useful strength.