Little Explorers Pre-school

Travel Ted goes home for family adventures, some Story Sacks bring shared activities into the house, and children help prepare their own snacks. Little Explorers Pre-school gives families several concrete ways to connect home life with the pre-school day. Based at Westerleigh Manor Hall in Coalpit Heath, it has capacity for 52 children. The pre-school aims to provide affordable education for children aged two to five.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding at its March 2023 inspection, finding an ambitious curriculum and strong support for children's communication. Morning, afternoon and whole-day bookings run during term time, with an early-start option.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage links observations of children's development with planning their next steps; here, communication work, practical snack preparation and shared reading give that planning a concrete shape. Staff have completed ICAN training in language and communication and use it in small-group work with relevant children. For a child needing help to join conversations, this creates a specific route for practising communication.

Home learning has recognisable names. Travel Ted accompanies children on outings or visits at home. The pre-school aims to make a book of his adventures for children to share their experiences. Story Sacks go home, with some containing activities families can do together. Through the Library System, children choose books to take home for family reading. These arrangements give parents something tangible to share with their child, and children something familiar to talk about afterwards.

In March 2023, children played out familiar situations in a home corner and worked dough with real herbs. The combination gave them opportunities for imaginative play and the hand movements involved in shaping and manipulating materials. Language activities included songs introducing vocabulary, signing for younger children and turn-taking with peers.

Mathematics also appeared in ordinary moments in March 2023. Children counted birthday candles, compared ages and matched quantities with numbers.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2023, outdoor activities included balancing and climbing, giving children opportunities to practise physical skills. Visits to a school and a local church also featured in the children's experience, alongside learning about community helpers such as police officers.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, with private discussions available when parents have concerns about development. Before starting, families can choose a home visit or a meeting, and parents may remain for some or all of a settling session. The settling period can be adjusted when a child finds separation difficult. This gives families a way to introduce their child's needs and familiar routines before attendance settles into a pattern.

Tapestry is an online learning journal recording children's development. Parents can see activity photographs and add pictures of experiences at home, making communication work in both directions. Families without email access can view their child's journal using pre-school equipment at specified times during the year.

A stay-and-play rota, parent helper days and regular parent sessions provide further opportunities to discuss progress and see children taking part. Telephone conversations can be arranged for parents whose work prevents them from bringing or collecting their child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described successful SEND support through individual learning plans developed with external agencies. Current support arrangements include a SENCO role, Support Plans and Provision Plans, with targets reviewed alongside parents. The child's key person oversees Support Plan targets; if that person cannot attend the child's sessions, the SENCO is to be present.

Visual timelines, now-and-next boards and cue cards help make routines understandable. Pencil grips and scissors support independent activity, while communication diaries can connect home and pre-school for children with communication difficulties. Support is planned around the child, with advice sought from relevant professionals and parents involved in reviewing the next steps.

Wheelchair access is available into the building, alongside accessible toilets and changing facilities. Wheelchair access to the outdoors uses a route through the main entrance and around the building.

Personal healthcare plans can be introduced where needed, and registration gathers information about allergies, dietary requirements and medication. A password is required for collection, with advance notification and a photograph requested when an unfamiliar adult will collect a child. These are concrete arrangements for sharing care information and identifying authorised collectors.

Children help prepare snacks from fruit, vegetables and cereals, pour drinks and wash their dishes afterwards. Snack time therefore includes practical independence as well as eating.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, while afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3pm. A morning booking including lunch finishes at 12.30pm; an afternoon booking including lunch starts at noon. The whole-day option, including lunch, runs from 9am to 3pm. An early session runs from 8.30am to 9am.

Attendance follows South Gloucestershire City Council term dates. Funding covers 38 weeks annually; when those term dates extend beyond that period, the additional time is charged at the full rate. The admissions arrangements allow flexibility in attendance patterns where this preserves continuity for the children, so flexibility operates within the pre-school's need for a stable routine.

The waiting list is arranged by birth order and may also take account of funded-entitlement eligibility, time waiting, proximity to home, siblings already attending and the setting's ability to meet a child's needs.

Getting There

The address is Westerleigh Manor Hall, Henfield Road, Coalpit Heath, Bristol BS36 2TG. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, two-year-old funding for children with a valid code, and an additional 15 hours for families holding a valid extended-entitlement code, checked each half term. Delivery is term time, with funding covering up to 15 or 30 hours weekly across 38 weeks. Eligibility depends on the child's and family's circumstances; attendance beyond the entitlement is privately charged.

Snacks and consumables are supported through a voluntary contribution, including during funded hours, and families can opt out. Extra activities also use voluntary contributions; opting out requires parents to supply the necessary items those contributions would cover. Morning bookings extended to 12.30pm carry a session charge, including for funded bookings. Families need to distinguish the attendance charge from the voluntary contribution when choosing a pattern.

An administration charge applies when the initial paperwork is completed only where funding has not yet been granted; families who find it a barrier can discuss options. A deposit confirms a place and is credited against the first invoice, but is non-refundable if an accepted place is not taken up or the start date is delayed at the parent's request. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

Fees are payable in advance each term and remain payable during absence; prolonged absence can be discussed with the pre-school. Leaving or reducing sessions involves written notice, with half-term and four-week provisions affecting what remains payable.

Moving to another setting or school can involve inviting the receiving teacher, key person or SENCO into sessions, holding a transition meeting and sharing relevant Support Plans. For children with additional needs, this gives the receiving staff time to plan adjustments and understand existing targets.

• Term-time fit. Attendance follows council term dates, and weeks beyond the funding allocation attract private charges. Match the session choices and holiday periods to your family's childcare needs.
• Voluntary contributions. Families can opt out of payments supporting snacks, consumables and extra activities, with replacement items required. Discuss the item list before deciding how to organise this.
• Settling and access. Home visits and flexible settling are options, while wheelchair access outdoors follows the route around the building. During a visit, discuss how these arrangements would work for your child.
• Notice commitments. Leaving provisions refer both to four weeks and to one half-term, with further rules for notice given partway through a half-term. Clarify the applicable deadline and payment period before accepting a place.

Little Explorers suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as a whole pre-school day during term time. Travel Ted, Story Sacks and the Library System give home learning a practical identity; key-person contact and planned SEND support add useful structure around each child. Its Outstanding March 2023 judgement is a strong dated assessment.