Paddocks Pre-School

Nature Ninjas, a single-storey building and a parent-run charity give Paddocks Pre-School its character. On Paddock Road in Wallingford, this is a setting where outdoor exploration sits alongside close communication with families. The committee consists of parents whose children attend, giving families a direct role in how the preschool is run. There are 32 places in total.

At its November 2025 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard judgements for inclusion, welfare and wellbeing, and behaviour and routines, with Expected standard judgements for achievement, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance.

Children were aged two to four at that inspection. Term-time attendance includes morning, afternoon and full-day sessions, with additional start and finish options.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, play, conversation, stories and observations of individual interests give that framework its everyday shape; the key person uses those observations to plan what a child might tackle next.

Nature Ninjas adds regular, leader-planned sessions in a designated Nature Ninja area. Children explore natural materials and tools, practise physical skills and learn about taking manageable risks safely. The activities also introduce language about the natural world and mathematical ideas involving shape, size and distance.

The daily routine alternates group activities with snacks, play indoors and outdoors, and adult-led activities. Stories and singing bring the morning towards its close; afternoon play includes a rolling snack.

In November 2025, younger children contributed ideas during stories, while older children explored letters and their sounds together in small groups. Paint-mixing conversations introduced colour vocabulary, and children chose dressing-up resources to invent their own games. Books were accessible for independent selection.

Mathematics needed greater attention in November 2025. Counting and number learning sometimes arose by chance, rather than through deliberately planned opportunities within play. Staff also needed more confidence in extending activities, and their deployment sometimes left children with insufficient individual help to participate fully. Nature Ninjas includes mathematical content, but that does not remove the wider teaching concern.

Outdoor and Community Life

The single-storey setting includes outdoor space. In November 2025, the outdoor environment supported climbing, running and play with wheeled toys, giving children opportunities to practise larger movements alongside the control involved in painting and using pens indoors.

School Readiness takes a broad view of preparation: self-care, concentration, emotional regulation, language and social play sit alongside early academic skills. Paddocks describes close transition links with St. Johns Primary School and St. Nicholas Infant School, including teacher visits and visits by children. Annual invitations to school productions and sports days add familiarity with school life before the move.

Relationships and Communication

A child's key person helps with settling, acts as the main family contact and plans learning around that child's interests and needs. Parents receive spoken updates on most days and regular learning-journey updates. Tapestry, the online journal used to record observations and progress, lets families see what their child has been doing and contribute information from home.

Email correspondence and a weekly emailed blog provide another layer of contact. Paper copies, including learning-journey information, are supplied to parents who cannot access the internet. The outside whiteboard also summarises the day's activities, making everyday play easier to discuss at home.

In November 2025, settling arrangements were tailored to individual children, who turned to familiar adults for comfort during stories and rhymes. Everyday independence included spreading butter on toast, pouring drinks and finding outdoor clothing in the cloakroom.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding standards met and assessed support for children with SEND positively, including prompt referrals and effective work with speech and language therapists.

The SEND procedure brings together the key person, SENCO and parents to assess concerns and agree action. Support plans specify interventions, resources and who will provide them, with reviews agreed at least termly. More complex needs may lead to external referrals alongside immediate support.

Admissions preparations can include staff training, risk assessments and a health-care plan where a child's needs require adjustments. The manager must outline a realistic completion timetable and keep the family and relevant agencies updated. Safeguarding arrangements include designated lead and deputy roles, recruitment checks and staff training; the team also has paediatric first-aid and food-hygiene training.

The behaviour procedure uses the key person's knowledge of the child to understand disputes and agree support with parents. Its approach centres on helping children recognise feelings and calm down with adult help, rather than isolating them as punishment. Where difficulties persist, the SENCO and family consider further support and specialist involvement.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool's address is Paddock Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 9LT. During term time, morning sessions finish at noon, with starts at 8.30am, 8.45am or 9am. Afternoon sessions begin at 12.30pm and finish at 3pm, 3.30pm or 4pm. Full-day attendance is also offered.

A separate Late Finish service runs from 3.15pm to 5.15pm, with only Tuesday currently operating; the Monday-to-Thursday offer depends on demand. It accepts ad-hoc bookings and school children, with a collection service from St John’s Primary School. This service should be distinguished from the ordinary afternoon finish options when planning a weekly routine.

Holiday Play schemes run from 9am to 3pm and welcome siblings. The term calendar also includes inset closures, so preschool attendance and holiday care need to be planned against their respective dates. Applications use the downloadable form, returned by email to the office.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the eligible two-year-old entitlement and working-family funding, alongside universal and extended funding for three- and four-year-olds. Funded hours can also cover early starts and late finishes; attendance beyond funded hours is charged privately. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, with the charge structure explained on its session rates page.

Families provide a packed lunch for full-day attendance, including when using funded hours. A voluntary funding supplement supports snacks, Nature Ninjas, special events and visiting provision, and also helps towards sun cream and other consumables; it is included on termly invoices as a donation request. Parents can contribute what they can afford or help through fundraising and practical tasks.

Getting There

Parking at the entrance is very limited, and the preschool warns against parking on the double yellow lines because this obstructs safe vehicle movement around the corner. This needs to be part of a family's collection plan.

The transition links with the two named schools help children become familiar with their next setting. Attendance at Paddocks does not guarantee a school place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Teaching priorities. In November 2025, mathematics, extending children's engagement and staff deployment all needed further work. During a visit, ask how counting is now built into play and how adults support children who need help joining activities.
• The afternoon timetable. Ordinary afternoon sessions have several finish options, while the separate Late Finish service currently operates on Tuesday. Match the precise service to your working week before choosing an attendance pattern.
• Joining and settling. The waiting list starts with birth order and can also take account of entitlement eligibility, time waiting, proximity, siblings and individual needs. Use the 30-minute show-round to discuss how your child's settling plan would work.
• Funded-place budgeting. Full-day children bring lunch, and termly invoices include the voluntary supplement request supporting snacks, activities and consumables. Keep that donation request separate from charges for attendance beyond funded hours when comparing your planned costs.

Paddocks suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those combining them into full-day attendance. Nature Ninjas, parent involvement and detailed communication give the offer substance, while the school-transition work addresses practical and emotional preparation together.

The November 2025 assessment was stronger for care, inclusion and routines than for teaching and achievement. For parents, the deciding question is how the preschool has addressed its specific teaching priorities while maintaining the individual relationships and outdoor experiences that shape its day.