Whiston Pre-School

In May 2023, bug hunts, balance bikes and a regular no paper day gave Whiston Pre-School a recognisable character: practical learning with room to explore. Set within the grounds of Whiston J & I School in Rotherham, it welcomes children aged two to five and has capacity for 24 children.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children made good progress, with strong support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). That is a dated assessment. Its most useful detail lies in the activities and relationships beneath the grade.

Attendance is term-time only, with shorter sessions for two-year-olds and longer days possible for three- and four-year-olds. This is an age-dependent arrangement rather than one attendance pattern for everyone.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the May 2023 examples show how play can bring those strands together: children searched for plants and bugs, counted what they found and represented their discoveries through pictures and other creative work. One investigation could therefore involve observation, numbers and making things.

In May 2023, the regular no paper day introduced recycling and encouraged children to find creative uses for resources. It gave an environmental idea a practical expression. Reading had a similarly tangible place: We're Going on a Bear Hunt supplied remembered language that children then used during play with dough, connecting a familiar story with their own activity.

Songs, stories and conversations supported language during that visit, but staff sometimes missed chances to introduce richer vocabulary. Opportunities to revisit experiences and strengthen children's understanding were also inconsistent. These were the two development priorities: extend the words children use, and give them more time to think back over what they have learnt.

Outdoor and Community Life

A dedicated outdoor play area sits within the school grounds. In May 2023, children built an obstacle course using crates and other materials, combining physical challenge with cooperation. Climbing frames offered another opportunity to practise waiting and giving others space.

Water wall painting involved broad movements as well as finer work with brushes and pens during the same visit. Balance bikes on sloping grass added a different physical challenge. The detail matters: outdoor learning included both careful hand control and whole-body movement, rather than simply time outside.

Relationships and Communication

Individual educational plans bring the child's key person and the Special Educational Need Co-Ordinator (SENCO) together. Plans are discussed with parents and shared at staff meetings, giving the adults supporting a child a common set of aims. Families receive regular progress updates through formal and informal meetings.

For more complex needs, support plans can involve the wider family; an Education, Health and Care Plan may also support a move to another setting. Enhanced staffing is provided in some circumstances according to the child's needs. These are specific mechanisms for organising support, rather than a general promise that every child needs the same approach.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In May 2023, staff worked with speech therapists, used additional funding and offered sensory experiences or sign language according to children's needs. Those examples show different ways of supporting communication and emotional wellbeing. They belong to that visit, while the planning and parent-meeting arrangements above form the current support structure.

The staff team includes safeguarding lead roles and a SENCO. In May 2023, six childcare staff were employed, and the manager reviewed the provision using contributions from children, families and staff. Those historical staffing details are separate from today's support roles.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Whiston Junior & Infant School, Saville Road, Whiston, Rotherham, S60 4DX. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm during term time. Two-year-olds can attend sessions lasting between 2.5 and four hours; three- and four-year-olds can attend for up to eight hours a day.

Requests to change a day or extend attendance for an emergency or one-off need are considered, but cannot always be accommodated and require as much notice as possible. That makes the usual booking important for families whose work arrangements change. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 07419 377315.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with some children eligible for up to 30 funded hours a week; attendance remains term-time only. Extra private hours can be purchased if available, and breakfast and snacks carry a separate charge. Payments are requested in advance, with weekly, monthly or full-payment arrangements.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The distinction for a family budget is between funded attendance, any additional private hours and the separate breakfast and snack charge.

The pre-school shares the grounds of Whiston J & I School. Attending does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Age-dependent attendance. Two-year-olds attend for between 2.5 and four hours per session, while three- and four-year-olds may attend for up to eight hours a day. At a visit, discuss how the usual booking would fit your child's age and your working week.
• Language and recall. In May 2023, development priorities concerned extending vocabulary and helping children revisit their learning. Ask how those opportunities now feature in stories, conversations and planned activities.
• Individual support. The key person and SENCO jointly develop educational plans, with enhanced staffing dependent on need. Discuss how a plan for your child would be agreed and reviewed with you.

Whiston suits families seeking shorter sessions for a two-year-old or longer term-time days for a three- or four-year-old. Its school-ground setting and the May 2023 examples of recycling, story-led play and physical exploration give substance to its practical character.

Individual planning offers a clear route for discussing additional needs. The balance is equally clear: the Good judgement dates from May 2023, and vocabulary development and reflection on learning were the areas requiring more attention.