Woodcote Pre-School Group Cio

Village-hall space, cooking on site and a parent management committee give Woodcote Pre-School Group Cio a clear community character. Its large indoor area is divided by activity, with books, dressing-up resources and toys supporting different kinds of play. Parents have a role beyond paying for childcare: fundraising helps sustain this charitable, non-profit setting.

Children aged 18 months to 5 years can attend, including children who wear nappies, and there are 37 places in total. At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of a recent visit.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance give families different ways to build their week.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and care: children develop through play across connected areas of learning. Woodcote combines activities children choose with activities adults introduce. Its early-years practice policy emphasises sensory exploration, independence and opportunities for children at different developmental stages to play together.

Separate activity areas accommodate books, dressing up and other play resources, supporting children's different interests and choices.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that the curriculum responded to children's learning needs, but asked staff to make better use of children's interests when supporting language and to pause longer after asking questions. These were specific weaknesses: some children needed more adult conversation during play, while rapid follow-up questions could interrupt their chance to think and answer. Families whose children need language support should give this point weight.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2022, children used the outdoor area for physical activity and tended an allotment where they grew vegetables and fruit. Sports Day during that month included running, team games and balancing challenges. These examples linked movement with persistence, and growing food with learning about the world beyond the playroom.

Community investment continued through the Active Early Years in Woodcote project. In October 2023, Woodcote Pre-School and Woodcote Baby & Toddler Group were fundraising together for balancing, climbing and sports resources, alongside construction and sensory toys. Purchases had begun by then. This was a practical equipment project shared between the two settings, rather than a named teaching curriculum.

Christmas Lunch is an annual children's event booked separately, adding a shared seasonal meal to the calendar.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts with knowledge of the individual child. The introductory questionnaire asks about important people, previous childcare experiences, favourite toys and comforters, giving the key person useful starting points for conversation and reassurance. It also asks about sleep during attendance, so familiar nap habits can be discussed before the child starts.

The settling procedure allows a parent to stay until their child is ready for separation, and recommends extending brief separations gradually where parting is difficult. This makes the settling period responsive to the child rather than dependent on a fixed deadline. The early-years practice policy also includes procedures for children who struggle to settle and for prolonged absence.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, tracks children's progress and gives parents password-protected access through an app or online. Photograph permissions distinguish assessment records from images used for publicity and from group observations appearing in other children's journals. Parents can make separate choices about these uses and withdraw consent later.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Children wearing nappies are welcomed. Changing takes place when needed and before lunch for children staying to eat; staff also support potty training, with child toilet seats and potties available. Families provide wipes, nappy sacks and nappies, so these supplies belong in the regular bag alongside spare clothing.

SEND arrangements start at registration with an assessment of the child's needs. Where support exceeds the core budget, the procedure calls for an application for SEN inclusion funding; more complex needs may require preparations such as staff training, a health care plan or an assessment of risks before the start date. The practical benefit is a process for identifying adjustments early, rather than leaving arrangements until attendance begins.

Behaviour support involves the key person and SENCO, with parents helping identify possible triggers and agree next steps. A stepped process moves from adjustments within the setting to specialist advice where needed. Safeguarding responsibilities sit with the manager and deputy, with arrangements for cover when both are off site.

Sessions and Attendance

The setting operates at Woodcote Village Hall, Reading Road, Woodcote, RG8 0QY. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01491 682300 or through the contact form.

Monday to Friday, full-day care runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Morning attendance is 9am to noon, while afternoons run from 1pm to 3.30pm; lunch occupies the interval between them and can be added to either pattern. Early Drop Off is 8.30am to 9am, with an additional paid early-drop option starting at 8.15am.

Children must attend at least two sessions across two days each week. That is a meaningful commitment for a family seeking only occasional attendance. Funded whole-day attendance is also offered, with the admissions timetable giving 9am to 3pm for 15/30 hour funding.

Bank holidays are closures, and the team has three training days each year. Booked days cannot be transferred to another week, and sickness, holidays or other absence do not attract refunds. Families therefore need to judge the agreed pattern as an ongoing booking, rather than payment only for days used.

Funding and Paid Extras

Universal funding starts in the term after a child's third birthday, with 15 funded hours each week; eligible two-year-olds can receive up to 15 hours, and the setting also accepts 30 hr Working Parent funding. The funding agreement describes a grant covering 38 weeks per academic year, with unused entitlement unable to move into another week. The younger age mentioned in national funding terms does not change Woodcote's admission age of 18 months.

Additional private hours are charged separately. Hot lunches and snacks are optional paid extras for funded and fee-paying attendance, with families able to send an approved healthy packed lunch or their own snacks instead; meals are made in the pre-school's kitchen, and a vegetarian option is offered. Hot lunches and snacks are charged separately. Families bring nappies, wipes and nappy sacks from home.

A deposit/administration fee applies to children receiving no funding and is non-refundable if the child does not join. Fundraising help is required from families, although there is no expectation that parents take a rota helping inside pre-school. Current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation, alongside the chosen hours and extras.

For children moving to the local primary school, the pre-school describes a relationship involving settling sessions before the summer holidays and invitations to school events. This can build familiarity, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Language development. The July 2022 improvement points concerned adult interaction during play and time for children to answer questions. During a visit, ask how these practices now work for children needing additional communication support.
• Settling and food needs. A free trial session and a home meeting with the key person are offered. Use these to discuss separation and, where allergies affect your child, confirm current food practice: the terms caution that individual dietary needs cannot always be accommodated.
• Contract wording. The funding agreement describes a 38-week grant, while the terms refer to spreading funding across the year; leaving notice is also expressed as a full term and, elsewhere, one month. Obtain an agreed written funding schedule and notice period before committing.
• Family contribution. Fundraising assistance is part of the fees agreement, alongside a minimum of two sessions on two days. Consider both the attendance commitment and the contribution your household can realistically make.

Woodcote suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school sessions, as well as those combining them into full-day attendance. Its large hall space, on-site cooking and parent involvement give it a recognisable character, while Tapestry and individual settling arrangements provide practical ways for home and pre-school to stay connected. The July 2022 language-development concerns remain an important consideration.