Whitsers

Village life gives Whitsers its character: a charitable playgroup run by a committee of volunteer parents and community members, based in Whittlesford’s Memorial Hall. Indoor exploration and outdoor play shape its approach, while parents can contribute to activities and help manage the setting. This is a place where family involvement has a practical role.

Whitsers caters for children aged 2½ to 4 and has 28 places in total. At its June 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that collaboration with other professionals helped children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Those are dated judgements.

Attendance is term-time, with morning sessions and longer options that include lunch.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning here: children explore indoor and outdoor environments through play, and their development is recorded and shared as they move towards school.

In June 2021, children altered a concertina’s sounds by placing fingers over its holes and investigated how water changed paint. Guiding magnetic beads through a puzzle maze exercised hand control.

Group activities in June 2021 used puppets to encourage participation in songs, alongside introductions to addition and subtraction. Cutting scented herbs for pretend baking gave children practice with scissors.

Outdoor and Community Life

A fenced outdoor area and an outdoor sand pit give physical substance to the emphasis on exploration. Waterproof clothing and wellington boots are part of what children bring, making outdoor play something families should prepare for when packing their child’s bag.

In June 2021, children grew fruit and vegetables for tasting at snack time, worked out how to negotiate a hill and used a real saw to cut wood safely. Village walks and participation in fundraising events connected their experiences with the surrounding community. These are inspection-era examples of practical learning and local involvement.

Today, fundraising helps pay for replacement equipment and new resources. Parents can also contribute their interests and skills to activities, so involvement can extend beyond attending meetings or receiving updates.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is assigned a key person before starting. There is an initial three-week settling period; where a child is struggling to settle, hours may subsequently be adjusted at short notice in consultation with staff and under exceptional circumstances. That flexibility has a defined purpose: responding to the child’s experience of starting.

Tapestry, the online development journal, brings observations, photographs and examples of children’s work together. Both staff and parents can contribute, and other family members can access it with parental authorisation. It gives families a continuing part in the account of their child’s learning.

Areas of Learning newsletters help families follow activities. Parents can also play alongside children and talk with staff about their day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for additional needs includes individual care plans where necessary, work with parents and outside agencies, and advice from the Cambridgeshire SEN team. The building has accessible facilities and disabled access. Where a child needs particular equipment, training or additional support, starting may be deferred until the necessary arrangements are in place. This is an important planning condition for families requiring tailored provision.

Children do not need to be toilet trained to attend. Staff work with parents on toileting, taking medical and developmental circumstances into account, while intimate care is planned with families and recorded. Parents are encouraged to supply spare nappies or pull-ups and changing wipes.

The June 2021 inspection identified two improvements: more opportunities for children learning English as an additional language to hear and use their home language, and more consistent encouragement of independence during everyday routines. Manageable clothing supports dressing practice, while snack-time choices and serving food or drink give children opportunities to practise self-care.

Moving towards school has concrete support. Regular visits by the William Westley Reception Class teacher, visits to the school and sharing appropriate developmental information help children become familiar with the next stage. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place at William Westley.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Memorial Hall, Mill Lane, Whittlesford, Cambridge, CB22 4NE. Opening hours are 9am to 1pm on Monday and Friday, and 9am to 3pm from Tuesday to Thursday, during term time. Monday is for preschool children only.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday, with a 9am to 1pm option on those days. Tuesday to Thursday also have a longer option, labelled afternoon sessions, running from 9am to 3pm and including lunch. The afternoon provision depends on demand. Lunch Club is the supervised packed-lunch period from noon to 1pm, Monday to Friday, and its operation may change by committee decision with notice.

Children must attend at least two sessions each week. Preschool attendance spread across more than one day is recommended, although this is not always possible. For families, the minimum booking commitment matters as much as the length of an individual session.

Returning the application forms puts a child on the waiting list for the preferred start date. Admissions priorities include special educational needs and looked-after children, Whittlesford residence, age, time on the list, Whitsers being the main preschool setting and sibling connections. These are selection criteria, not a statement of current vacancies.

Six weeks’ notice is required when reducing sessions or changing their days or times. Fees remain payable for short absences. Together, these terms make the chosen attendance pattern a commitment to plan carefully.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Funding offers up to 15 hours each week over 38 weeks for three- and four-year-olds, starting in the term after their third birthday. Eligible children can claim an additional 15 hours at Whitsers, making 30 in total; eligible two-year-olds can also use Two Year Old Funding or Funded Twos. Delivery is term-time, and privately paid hours and ad hoc sessions are also offered.

Funded families are asked for a snack contribution and a wider supplement and donation. Families who prefer not to pay the supplement and donation are asked to notify Whitsers so other ways of supporting the preschool can be discussed. Lunch is supplied by parents on both funded and privately paid attendance. Parents are also encouraged to bring nappies or pull-ups and changing wipes for children who need them.

An administration payment is associated with joining. Its refund conditions need particular attention before committing, alongside the session notice terms. Childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare payments are accepted. The fees and funding page sets out the charge structure. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

For Lunch Club, families provide a labelled packed lunch and an empty drinks bottle, with lunch boxes stored in the Memorial Hall kitchen fridge. Whitsers’ food policy aims to exclude nuts and asks families to avoid nut-containing products; individual dietary needs are recorded, and severe allergies have a health care plan reviewed each term.

• Term-time fit. Monday and Friday finish at 1pm, while Tuesday to Thursday extend to 3pm; afternoon provision depends on demand. Monday is preschool-only, and the minimum is two sessions a week. At a term-time visit, arranged through admin@whitsers.uk between 9:15am and 11:30am, discuss how your proposed pattern would work.
• Administration payment. The fees page and admissions policy describe a refund after a child starts, while the fees policy calls the payment non-refundable. Ask for the applicable refund terms in writing before paying, especially if plans might change before the start date.
• Language and independence. The June 2021 improvement points concerned home-language opportunities and consistent support for children doing things themselves. Ask staff to demonstrate how these are built into the day now, especially if your child uses another language at home.
• Additional needs and allergies. A start may be deferred while necessary equipment, training or extra support is arranged. Families affected by allergies should confirm current food handling and their child’s care plan, including arrangements for packed lunches.

Whitsers suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or longer attendance incorporating lunch, with an active role for parents in a village playgroup. Tapestry and William Westley transition visits support family involvement and moving on. The minimum attendance requirement and demand-dependent afternoons matter when matching childcare to family routines.