Thurton & Ashby St. Mary Pre-School

Spinach, garlic and a mud kitchen give Thurton & Ashby St. Mary Pre-School's outdoor learning a practical character. In November 2023, children grew vegetables, explored quantities through muddy play and used harvested produce in cooking. Growing and cooking gave children practical ways to learn about nature.

At its 24 November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the pre-school Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The setting has 24 places in total at Thurton Village Hall; children attending in November 2023 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the November 2023 examples included counting, conversation, stories and practical independence through play and everyday tasks.

In November 2023, the mud kitchen gave children opportunities to explore measurement and weight. Growing spinach and garlic extended their contact with living things into the colder months, while cooking connected growing food with using it.

Older children also explored nearby woodland in November 2023. Magnifying glasses helped them examine bugs, and illustrated reference books helped identify their discoveries. Puppets and soft toys introduced hibernation before children made boxes for hibernating creatures. These activities connected observation, books and making things around one subject.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those developing speech through planned strategies, alongside teaching that engaged children's curiosity.

In November 2023, a key person gave individual attention to children who were new or finding settling difficult. Songs, signing and rhymes supported communication; staff also modelled pronunciation and gave children time to contribute during stories. Parents received updates and could meet their child's key person to discuss development and support at home.

Children practised pouring drinks and handling cutlery in November 2023. Snacks were supplied by the pre-school, but guidance about packed lunches had not achieved consistent healthy-eating messages between home and the setting.

The address is Thurton Village Hall, Ashby Road, Thurton, Norwich NR14 6AX.

In November 2023, attendance was term-time only: sessions ran from 9am to 1pm on Mondays and Thursdays, and from 9am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. This gave families shorter and longer daytime patterns across the operating week. At that time, the pre-school provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

• Changes between activities. In November 2023, some children lost interest when moving between indoor and outdoor play or joining small groups. Those moments needed better planning to sustain engagement.
• Packed-lunch consistency. In November 2023, healthy-eating guidance needed closer work with parents. Families' lunch choices mattered alongside the snacks supplied by the setting.
• Planning a visit. How do today's session patterns and funding arrangements compare with the shorter Monday and Thursday sessions and longer Tuesday and Friday sessions offered in November 2023?

This pre-school suits families drawn to outdoor exploration, vegetable growing and practical learning. Its November 2023 model served both shorter daytime sessions and longer term-time days. The Good judgement supports that inspection-era picture, with activity transitions and consistent healthy-eating messages the two clear points to weigh.