Holy Trinity Preschool

A church setting with outdoor learning beyond its own garden gives Holy Trinity Preschool its character. Forest School, an approach built around child-led exploration in natural surroundings, takes children into the Jazzy Garden and to other outdoor venues. The Christian ethos is explicit, and families of every faith and culture are welcome.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the preschool Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, effective safeguarding and effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those findings give families a useful starting point, rather than a substitute for understanding the daily routine.

Based at Holy Trinity Church in Shrewsbury, the preschool has 24 places in total; children attending in June 2025 were aged two to four. Morning and afternoon sessions operate during term time, with a lunch club between them.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play, covering communication, physical development and relationships alongside early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. Children's interests help shape activities here. That gives staff a starting point in something a child already wants to explore, rather than relying solely on adult-selected tasks.

In June 2025, imaginative play included children turning wooden planks into rowing equipment for a pretend boat journey, accompanied by staff singing. It is a useful example of simple materials doing several jobs: supporting imagination, shared play and conversation. The activity grows from what children make of the resources.

Growing food brought another kind of hands-on experience. In June 2025, children planted and cared for vegetables and other plants, picked strawberries together and watered their produce. This connects learning about living things with practical jobs children can take part in themselves. Staff also adapted activities and the amount of help offered to individual learning needs.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School complements the wider curriculum through practical exploration, problem-solving and opportunities to manage risks. Sessions use the preschool's Jazzy Garden, the Inside-Out venue and the Woodland Area at Coleham Primary School. The Jazzy Garden programme continues throughout the year; off-site sessions run from Easter into late autumn, subject to temperature and weather conditions. That seasonal distinction matters when thinking about outdoor clothing and a child's comfort away from the preschool.

Children can use the outdoor area during each session. In June 2025, a rope swing beside a low platform gave children a physical challenge: they had to position the rope and work out how to hold it before swinging. Staff supervised this exploration and taught children ways to protect themselves. Outdoor play involved judgement as well as movement.

Community experiences also extended beyond the garden in June 2025. Children explored outdoor learning spaces and visited residential homes to sing with residents. These outings offered opportunities to work together and meet people beyond their usual preschool circle. Neither activity needs to be dressed up as a formal lesson to have a clear purpose.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who keeps track of development and liaises with parents, while other staff also discuss children's interests and achievements. This gives families an identified contact alongside relationships with the wider team. It is a practical arrangement for sharing small changes at home as well as questions about learning.

In June 2025, staff gathered parents' knowledge of children's early interests and skills, then used it in planning. Weekly staff discussions brought observations together, and parents could attend meetings about development and next steps. Repeated stories were shared with families too, giving home and preschool a common thread for conversation.

Communication took several forms in June 2025. Staff used visual materials, objects and Makaton signs to help children express themselves; a life-cycle activity included the sign for butterfly. These were concrete ways of making an activity accessible to children with different communication needs, rather than expecting every child to respond in the same way.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The entrance has a ramp, and wheelchair users can reach the main classrooms and an accessible toilet. Parents are involved in reviews of additional provision, with learning opportunities adapted and development monitored. These mechanisms matter more to a family considering support than a broad promise that every need will be met.

Toilet learning was handled with parents in June 2025. Staff discussed readiness, responded when children recognised the need to go and supported them while they practised. The emphasis was on the individual child rather than a single timetable for everyone.

A member of the team cooks hot meals for children and staff on Wednesdays. This gives that lunchtime a shared meal element alongside the preschool's sessional routine.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday during term time. The morning session runs from 9am to 11.30am, and the afternoon from 12.30pm to 3pm; an hour-long lunch club sits between them. Families can therefore weigh a morning or afternoon pattern against their child's routine, with lunch club forming a separate part of the day.

The preschool occupies rooms at the back of Holy Trinity Church, Belle Vue Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 7LL. Access follows School Lane around the church to the side door. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01743 241195 during term time.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2025, the preschool provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Administrative support includes handling funding applications and enquiries, giving parents a practical contact for that part of joining.

• Christian ethos. Faith influences the preschool's relationships and activities, while children from all faiths and cultures are welcomed. A visit is the opportunity to discuss how that ethos shapes your child's day.
• Outdoor space in development. Fundraising is under way to replace worn decking and create a larger sandpit with new equipment. Ask how the work will affect garden use during your child's sessions.
• Staff development. The June 2025 inspection identified a need for more precisely targeted training and mentoring to extend staff knowledge and skills. Ask what changes have followed that recommendation.
• Session and lunch planning. Morning and afternoon sessions have a lunch club between them. Discuss which combination fits your child's routine and what arrangements and charges apply to lunch and other items you would provide.

Holy Trinity Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon term-time sessions in a setting with an explicit Christian identity and regular outdoor learning. The Jazzy Garden and off-site Forest School give its offer substance, while the key-person arrangement provides a clear link between home and preschool.

The June 2025 findings support confidence in the preschool's care and learning, with staff development the main improvement point. For families comfortable with its ethos and session structure, this is a preschool worth considering for the practical experiences children have, from growing food to exploring outdoor spaces.