Girton Cottontails Preschool

Wednesday means woodland at Girton Cottontails Preschool: children head to the woods beside the recreation ground for Forest School, learning through practical challenges, tools and outdoor play. Thursday afternoon brings a different rhythm, with separate sessions for children preparing for primary school and those earlier in their preschool years. These are concrete choices about how the week works, rather than an undifferentiated programme of free play.

Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding at its inspection on 30 April 2024. The setting welcomes children from age two until they start primary school and has capacity for 28 children in total. It operates at Girton Glebe Primary School on Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge, CB3 0PN.

Attendance is term-time only, with full-day and half-day bookings and additional breakfast or after-school arrangements. For families whose childcare needs follow the school calendar, that combination gives several ways to shape the week.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences help children develop communication, physical skills and relationships. Girton's additional structure comes through its woodland work and the different Thursday afternoon groups.

Forest School takes place every Wednesday in the woods alongside the recreation ground. Children explore across the seasons and in different weather, tackle practical problems and use tools. The environment itself supplies the learning material. Challenges involve making decisions, understanding boundaries and considering risk, giving outdoor activity a purpose beyond simply spending time outside.

Rising 5's is the Thursday afternoon session for children in their final preschool year. It introduces a more organised routine, including responding to their name during a group register, exploring letters and phonics, and joining an adult-led activity. Outdoor play often uses the school field, where children are encouraged to invent games with fewer resources. The emphasis is on practising routines and independence that will be useful in a school playground.

Alongside it, Rainbows gives younger children a smaller, separate session. An activity matched to their development sits alongside indoor and outdoor free play. This provides an introduction to more structured activity before children move into Rising 5's, while keeping the two groups' sessions independent.

Everyday Learning

In April 2024, staff used stories, songs and conversation to introduce vocabulary, explaining unfamiliar words and modelling clear speech. Puzzles prompted discussion about where pieces belonged, and staff encouraged children to test their ideas. Stories, conversation and puzzles provided everyday opportunities for language and mathematical learning.

The same month's account describes children learning to share, wait for a turn and recognise other children's feelings. Staff adjusted their reminders for younger children who were still learning these skills. For parents, this is useful detail about the preschool's social expectations: cooperation was taught through repeated, sensitive guidance.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adapted learning closely to individual children, supported children with SEND exceptionally well through work with families and other professionals, and maintained effective safeguarding arrangements. That dated assessment provides the strongest basis for judging care here; it concerns what staff actually did, as well as the overall grade.

In April 2024, everyday care included seeking children's agreement before helping with nappy changes or wiping their noses. Older children, with parental permission, also learned about bodily privacy and adults they could approach with a worry. These practices gave children ways to express preferences and understand personal boundaries.

Communication extended beyond a description of the day's activities. In April 2024, curriculum plans were shared with parents, including the steps towards individual learning aims. This made the intended progression visible to families and connected preschool activity with what children were learning over time.

Preparation for primary school is also tangible in Rising 5's. The register, letters and phonics, adult-led activity and school-field games rehearse aspects of the next stage. The preschool shares a site with Girton Glebe Primary School, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Sessions and Attendance

Bookings run from Monday to Friday during term time. Parents choose the days that suit their child, and the preschool recommends at least two sessions. This is advice, rather than a stated compulsory minimum. Both full days and half days can be booked, with breakfast or after-school club as additions.

The morning session runs from 9am to noon; the afternoon runs from noon to 3pm and includes lunch club. An early start runs from 8.30am to 9am, except on Girton's Forest School days. Wednesday therefore needs a different morning plan from the other weekdays. Thursday afternoons divide into Rising 5's and Rainbows according to children's stage.

Applications use a child application form, with email contact at info@girtoncottontailspreschool.com. Applications are acknowledged within 14 days and retained on file; the acknowledgement sets out the offer and attendance hours. This gives families a defined response process rather than leaving the next step open-ended.

Funding and Paid Extras

Children can attend using funded hours alone, pay for additional hours beyond their entitlement, or attend on a fee-paying basis if they are not eligible for funding. Funding is delivered over 38 weeks, and funded preschool hours can include lunchtime.

The entitlements offered are universal 15-hour funding for three- and four-year-olds, 30-hour working-family funding for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds, and 15-hour funding for eligible two-year-olds whose families receive additional support. Eligibility conditions apply. The fees and funding page explains the application routes; current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Children can bring a healthy packed lunch, or families can choose a separately charged school dinner at Girton. Session snacks are supported by a voluntary contribution, which also helps cover sun cream, cooking and gardening activities, and resources for celebrations and end-of-term events. These items and activities remain accessible when the contribution is not paid. The distinction matters: lunch choices and a voluntary contribution are separate parts of the cost structure.

• Wednesday mornings. Forest School runs weekly, and the early-start option does not operate that day. During a visit, discuss how the woodland routine will work for your child and your morning schedule.
• The term-time calendar. Full days and half days both follow term time. Families needing care through school holidays will need to account for that difference in their childcare plans.
• Lunch and contributions. Packed lunches, paid school dinners and a voluntary contribution serve different purposes. Ask for a written quotation that separates your chosen attendance hours, lunch arrangement and contribution.
• Moving on to school. Rising 5's prepares children through routines and activities, while the shared primary-school site does not guarantee admission. Keep the Reception application separate from the preschool booking.

Girton Cottontails suits families seeking term-time preschool with either full-day attendance or shorter half-day sessions. Weekly woodland learning and the separate Rising 5's and Rainbows sessions give its programme a recognisable shape, while the April 2024 Outstanding judgement provides a strong dated assessment of its practice.

The practical trade-offs are clear: the calendar follows term time, and Wednesday has no early start. For families who can work with those arrangements, the combination of outdoor exploration, staged school preparation and funded-hours-only attendance offers useful choices.