Cheeky Chimps

Stories, practical independence and outdoor play give Cheeky Chimps its character. This rural Ashcott setting combines preschool provision with care for children attending Ashcott Primary School, making the relationship between early learning and the school day a useful part of its offer.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Cheeky Chimps Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress from their starting points. Language development was a clear strength of the day: ordinary play became an opportunity to introduce words, discuss feelings and explain ideas.

Cheeky Chimps has 25 places in total and offers childcare for ages 2 to 11. Morning and afternoon preschool sessions sit alongside breakfast and after-school care, so families can choose between different parts of the day rather than treating attendance as one fixed block.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides preschool learning and care, bringing children's communication, development and learning together through play. Activities build on children's existing interests and knowledge, with opportunities to make choices and attempt new challenges. That gives exploration a practical purpose: children can pursue an idea rather than simply move through adult-selected tasks.

Culture Capital, the nursery's programme of practical skills and preparation for future learning, gives that ambition concrete detail. Children work towards dressing independently, handling scissors, using cutlery and telling a story themselves. Counting objects individually and recognising shapes sit alongside manners and sharing. For parents, this connects early learning with the small tasks that make a child more independent at home and ready to participate in a group.

In February 2024, flour play involved utensils, pouring and conversation about texture. Staff introduced vocabulary through demonstration, linking a new word to something children could feel and do. Small-world play offered another route into language: children assembled a railway and gave their characters different voices, sustaining a shared story through their play.

Books also travelled beyond story time. In February 2024, younger children explored the outdoor area after hearing We're Going on a Bear Hunt, gathering grass, mud and sticks to represent parts of the story. Retelling through objects gave children another way to express an idea, rather than relying only on answering an adult's questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

Physical play had tangible resources in February 2024: wooden planks for balance, balls for throwing and catching, and a caterpillar climbing frame that became the setting for an imagined journey. A ladder and tools also supported pretend repairs, combining movement with discussion about how things work.

The Ball Room was a completed garden room in February 2024, intended to add learning space and extend exploration of the world. Its value was additional room for experiences beyond the existing provision; the inspection-time account described its intended use rather than an established programme of activities.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2024, staff knew children well and worked with parents to understand individual needs. Children settled readily, and adults modelled considerate behaviour through their own interactions. Sharing resources and taking turns were part of the social learning, rather than separate lessons about behaviour.

Parent information includes a Key Worker System letter, Settling In Strategies and Online Learning Journal information. These give families several points of connection with preschool life: the adult relationship, the adjustment to attending and a way to follow learning. Families are also invited to participate in activities and their child's progress, making parent involvement part of the setting's stated approach.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A designated safeguarding lead role and a SENCO role are part of the staff structure. In February 2024, the special educational needs coordinator worked with children's key person and outside professionals to address gaps in learning. This is a specific support mechanism, with the child's familiar adult involved alongside specialist input.

During February 2024, books and story props helped children talk about characters' feelings and their own emotions. Handwashing and helping prepare snacks also gave them manageable responsibilities. These everyday routines linked independence with care for themselves, while keeping the tasks within ordinary preschool life.

Sessions and Attendance

Cheeky Chimps is at C/o Ashcott Primary School, Ridgeway, Ashcott, Bridgwater, TA7 9PP. In February 2024, it operated from purpose-built premises within the primary school's grounds and preschool opening was term-time only.

Preschool mornings run from 8.45am to 11.45am, with afternoons from 12.45pm to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday. Children can also stay from 8.45am to 2.45pm. Lunch club runs between 11.45am and 12.45pm: it is included for children staying for that whole preschool day and optional for those attending only a morning or afternoon.

Breakfast Club serves preschool children and children attending Ashcott Primary School. The 7.45am to 8.40am session includes breakfast; a shorter care session runs from 8.15am to 8.40am. After School Care runs from 3pm to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, for the same groups, with collection from school arranged by staff. Telephone booking is offered for breakfast care, and general enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

Sharing the primary school's site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes 2 Year funded Places, 15 universal entitlement hours for children aged 3 and 4, and 30 funded hours for eligible children aged 3 to 4. The universal entitlement begins in the term after a child's third birthday. Private preschool care is charged hourly; after-school childcare is also charged hourly, with half-hour increments after the initial hour, while activity charges vary by club. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charging structure set out on its fees page.

Families provide a packed lunch, while breakfast is included in the earlier Breakfast Club session. After-school snacks are included at no extra charge and served at 4.30pm; they are a snack rather than a replacement for an evening meal.

• Group story time. In February 2024, lunch preparation and bathroom use interrupted some shared reading, and improving children's concentration during group activities was the identified development point. During a visit, ask how these activities are organised now.
• Funded attendance and extras. The offer spans preschool sessions and school-day care, with different food arrangements. When discussing a funded booking, ask how the entitlement fits the chosen sessions and what arrangements apply to meals and non-food consumables.
• School-site convenience. Breakfast and after-school care include transfers to and from Ashcott Primary School. This is useful for families combining preschool and primary-age care, but the preschool place carries no guarantee of Reception admission.

Cheeky Chimps suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool attendance, as well as those combining a whole preschool day with breakfast or after-school care. Its strongest educational thread is language developed through stories, practical play and conversation, with independence given concrete expression through Culture Capital. The February 2024 judgement provides a positive assessment, balanced by a specific weakness in group-time organisation. The school-site arrangement adds practical value for families whose children attend Ashcott Primary School.