St George's Pre-School, Taunton

Double doors connect the play space to a large garden, while a quiet book corner gives children somewhere to turn towards stories. St George's Pre-School, Taunton combines that indoor and outdoor choice with learning shaped around children's interests. It caters for children aged two to four, with capacity for 24 children in total.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. That dated judgement provides the quality benchmark; the current offer centres on play, a key member of staff for each child and personalised care and learning plans. Full-day, morning and afternoon attendance patterns run during term time.

The setting occupies a purpose-built modular building on the St George's Catholic Primary School site. Preparation for Reception has a clear place here, but attending the pre-school does not guarantee admission to the primary school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for children's learning, development and care, including learning through play and preparation for school. Here, the In The Moment approach adds a particular way of planning: staff follow children's immediate interests, observe their play and use questions to extend what they are doing. A child's curiosity helps shape the activity rather than simply fitting into a predetermined task.

Parents contribute information about interests and achievements at home during their child's focus week. Staff then feed back on the learning and offer ideas for continuing it at home. This creates a practical connection between the child's experiences in both places: a new interest at home can become useful information for practitioners.

Creative play, construction and role play each have defined indoor spaces, alongside the quiet book corner. Direct garden access supports movement between indoor and outdoor play throughout the year. The arrangement gives children different ways to participate, whether they want to build, imagine or spend time with a book.

In November 2022, familiar stories prompted children to supply words and discuss characters' emotions. French songs brought language and mathematical ideas into singing and dancing. These examples show how conversation and movement could carry learning, rather than leaving it entirely to activities at a table.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2022, outings included a church and a wildlife area, while visitors had included a dentist and the fire brigade. Visits to the primary school helped children become familiar with a school setting. The experiences connected play and discussion to people, places and roles beyond the pre-school building.

Cultural learning also involved families at that time. Parents shared their cultures, and children made books about family traditions to share with one another. A display brought together countries and languages represented within the setting, giving children's home lives a visible place in their learning.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key member of staff who works with the family, and an individual plan addresses care, wellbeing and learning. This gives parents a specific relationship through which to share their child's needs, rather than relying solely on general messages to the whole setting.

Tapestry Learning Journals provide password-protected access to photographs and staff observations. Parents can also add information and photographs from home. The journal is therefore a shared account of learning, with contributions travelling in both directions.

Emotion Coaching gives staff a method for responding to difficult feelings: acknowledge the emotion, establish appropriate boundaries and work through a solution with the child. Its value is practical. Behaviour is addressed while helping the child recognise what they feel and consider what to do next.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that individual activities and work with families and external agencies supported children with special educational needs and disabilities, while picture cards, home-language words and weekly translator visits supported children learning English as an additional language. These are dated findings about how support worked, rather than a promise that every child will need or receive the same intervention.

Children with additional needs may have an APDR (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) plan. Their Tapestry observations can identify activities linked to individual outcomes set by the special educational needs coordinator. This connects the support plan to what the child actually does during the day.

The staff team includes experienced early-years practitioners with childcare and education qualifications. In November 2022, everyday independence included cutting fruit for snack and putting on coats and shoes. Small tasks gave children opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Mount, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3NR, on the St George's Catholic Primary School site. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 3.15pm, and attendance is term-time only.

Four booking options give families a choice over the length of the day: a full day from 9am to 3.15pm; a morning from 9am to noon; a morning including lunch from 9am to 12.45pm; or an afternoon from 12.45pm to 3.15pm. The lunch-inclusive morning extends attendance beyond the shorter morning option, while the afternoon provides a separate shorter pattern.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01823 327 879 or by email to stgeorgespreschool2014@gmail.com. School applications remain separate: families use the local authority admissions process, and pre-school attendance does not guarantee a place at St George's Catholic Primary School.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for qualifying two-year-olds, alongside the universal 15 funded hours from the term after a child's third birthday and up to 30 funded hours through the Working Family Entitlement for eligible children. The pre-school's accepted ages remain two to four; the entitlement's wider age rules do not extend that intake. Attendance is term-time only, and privately paid childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Parents supply lunch for the morning-with-lunch session. The pre-school's nut-free policy asks families to exclude nuts and nut-containing foods from lunchboxes and snacks.

• Term-time timetable. The day ends at 3.15pm and attendance follows school terms. Families needing care later in the afternoon or during holidays need to weigh that timetable against their working arrangements.
• Writing and conversation. In November 2022, children made insufficient use of activities supporting early writing, and staff interactions did not consistently extend speaking and listening. During a visit, ask how mark-making and sustained conversation are encouraged now.
• Lunchbox allergy rules. Parents provide lunch for the extended morning, and the nut-free policy covers both lunchboxes and snacks. Families affected by allergies should confirm current handling arrangements before attendance.
• Settling a younger child. The intake includes two-year-olds, and every child has a key member of staff. Discuss how the settling process and daily routine would fit your child's care needs.

St George's suits families seeking term-time preschool education with a choice of full-day, morning or afternoon attendance. Direct garden access, In The Moment planning and shared Tapestry journals give the offer a clear shape: play informs learning, and parents contribute to it.

The Good judgement from November 2022 sits alongside specific improvement points in early writing and staff conversation. Those deserve attention when choosing the setting. The school-site location offers familiarity with a school environment, while the separate Reception application remains essential.