Sutton-on-the-Hill Preschool

Three outdoor spaces give Sutton-on-the-Hill Preschool its character: grass for climbing, a playground for wheeled play, and a Forest School area where outdoor exploration includes den-making. Based in Sutton Village Hall, this rural preschool combines an emphasis on outdoor learning with opportunities for parents to help run the setting.

There are 26 places in total for children aged 2 to 5. Ofsted rated the preschool Good at its inspection on 30 June 2021. Morning and afternoon sessions sit within a term-time operation, making the attendance model an important part of its appeal.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework: children develop language, movement and social skills through play, alongside early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and exploration of their surroundings. This is the foundation for early years education; outdoor learning is the preschool's particular emphasis within it.

Child-led play alternates with activities organised by adults. The morning includes a flexible snack period and ends with stories or singing, while the afternoon includes physical play and time to reflect. Staff also lead music activities during the week. That gives children opportunities to choose their play while taking part in shared experiences.

Weekly cooking adds a practical activity to the routine. Parent-and-child craft sessions take place half-termly, giving families a recurring opportunity to participate in an activity together. Both sit among the extras supported by voluntary contributions for snacks and resources.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor spaces offer different kinds of play. Climbing equipment occupies the grassed area; learning sheds and ride-on toys sit in the playground. In the Forest School area, a firepit, Mud Kitchen, trees and bushes provide the setting for outdoor activities and making dens. Short walks follow local footpaths, extending exploration beyond the preschool grounds.

Forest School means learning through outdoor experiences, including exploring nature, solving problems and working together. Sessions here operate on a rotation. Participation starts at age three and requires parental consent; children must be out of nappies unless special circumstances apply. This is a separate participation condition, rather than the age at which children can join the preschool.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who maintains their records and acts as the family's main contact. If that key person changes as the child progresses through the setting, parents are notified, keeping families informed about who their contact is. The settling arrangement progresses through three visits: the first lasts 45 minutes with an adult staying throughout; the second lasts an hour and a half, with the adult staying initially to help the child settle; for the final visit, the child stays for the session and the adult returns for collection. That gives separation a staged structure rather than treating the first session as an immediate handover.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to record children's development, including photographs of activities. The registration arrangements also invite information about home interests, sleep, comfort objects and language, giving staff practical starting points for getting to know a child.

Parents have a role beyond exchanging updates. An elected management committee oversees finances, staffing and policies, and families can take part in open meetings about fundraising and events. Meetings sometimes use Zoom. For parents who enjoy involvement in a village preschool, there is a concrete route into its organisation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The registration process asks about additional needs, existing support plans and the help a child will require. It also provides for agreeing bilingual support with the key person when needed. Parents participate in the progress check for younger children and discuss it with staff, linking the assessment with what families know about their child at home.

Allergy information is collected at registration, with an individual risk assessment for known allergies or food intolerances. These are practical arrangements for identifying needs and planning support; families with specific needs should use the settling discussion to explain how those arrangements will work for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates at Sutton Village Hall, School Lane, Sutton-on-the-Hill, Ashbourne, DE6 5JA. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, across 39 weeks of the year, with school-holiday closures.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. Children attending a morning can add lunch club from noon to 1pm, either using funded hours where applicable or paying separately. Lunch club and afternoon bookings can be occasional or regular, with afternoon bookings taking priority for lunch club.

Applications use the preschool's application and registration forms. Allocation follows a first-come, first-served rule. Enquiries can be made by telephone or text on 07777 769780.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 15 hours for children aged three and four, funding for eligible two-year-olds and 30 hours for eligible working families. Attendance is term-time. The funding arrangements include an FE1 form for claiming sessions through Derbyshire County Council, while working-family applications go through HMRC.

Private sessions are also offered, with fees normally invoiced half-termly and payable before the next half term begins. Longer half terms may use monthly invoices, and fees remain payable during absence or holidays. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Parents supply packed lunches, while a separate voluntary contribution supports snacks and additional activity resources, including cooking, family crafts and seasonal materials; the preschool's lunch policy excludes nuts and nut products. Non-food supplies have different arrangements: the voluntary contribution supports activity consumables, while parents provide sun cream for children staying all day and any nappy cream their child needs.

• Forest School participation. Sessions rotate and begin from age three, with consent and a nappy-related condition that allows for special circumstances. At a visit, discuss how your child's participation would fit their attendance and toileting needs.
• Term-time cover. The preschool closes for school holidays. Morning sessions and afternoons may fit family routines well, but holiday care needs a separate plan.
• Food and outdoor care. Families pack lunch and supply sun cream for all-day attendance. If your child has an allergy, confirm the current arrangements for packed lunches, shared snacks and cooking activities before joining.
• Parent involvement and contributions. Committee participation and fundraising are part of this charity's operation, while snack and resource contributions are voluntary. Consider whether you want that involvement and how the additional contribution fits your childcare budget.

Sutton-on-the-Hill Preschool suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions with an emphasis on outdoor play and opportunities to participate in preschool life. The separate play spaces, rotational Forest School sessions and shared craft activities give that offer substance. Holiday closures, packed lunches and the Forest School participation conditions are the practical details to weigh alongside it.