Abacus Pre School Nursery

In November 2024, school-hall movement sessions and a preschool day centred on conversation gave Abacus its character. Based at Dassett C of E Primary School in Fenny Compton, this small setting has capacity for 18 children aged two to five, with admission starting at two years and six months. Its school setting matters: children were already using the playground and hall in November 2024, making those spaces familiar before the move to Reception.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Abacus Good and found safeguarding effective. The useful detail sits beneath that judgement: language support, carefully managed changes between activities and opportunities for children to take responsibility. Two improvement points also deserve attention, concerning everyday independence and how learning at home contributes to planning.

Learning and Activities

EYFS shapes the themes and play at Abacus, linking children's learning with their social and emotional development. Staff observe children as they play, assess what they can already do and use that understanding to plan their next learning experiences. For parents, this means a child’s starting point helps shape the activity, rather than every child being expected to work at the same pace.

In November 2024, communication featured throughout the day. Staff introduced vocabulary through conversation, stories and rhymes, using repetition to help children practise language. Pictures and signing supported children with delayed communication. Questions encouraged children to think and respond, giving conversation a purpose beyond simply naming objects.

Changes of activity were made easier to understand with sand timers and a five-minute warning. Children could see that one part of the session was ending before another began. Taking a turn as the day's leader brought a different kind of practice: announcing that it was time to tidy and leading other children towards outdoor play gave children a visible responsibility.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2024, the school playground provided space for running, ball skills and exploring fallen leaves. Weekly physical education in the school hall combined movement with music and apparatus that children could travel beneath or across. These were concrete opportunities to practise coordination while becoming familiar with school spaces.

Smaller movements received attention too, through resources children could choose for themselves. Dressing-up and putting on coats gave children chances to practise doing things independently. The balance matters: physical development here included both energetic play and the hand movements needed for everyday tasks.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2024, parents could spend time in the setting while children settled, helping staff build relationships with families as well as children. Private conversations were accommodated around collection and the start of the day. This gave parents space to discuss something personal rather than having to raise it in a group.

For children learning English alongside another language, staff gathered words, songs and phrases from families and brought cultural traditions into their planning. Familiar language could therefore connect home with preschool activities. The work began with parents’ knowledge of their own child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by shared individual-plan targets and cooperation with other professionals. Staff used consistent phrases during play and routines so children could practise expressing what they needed. That is a practical mechanism for support, rather than a broad promise about inclusion.

In November 2024, individual work and small groups helped children practise sharing and waiting for a turn. Staff supported children to recognise feelings, using pebbles as prompts for talking about happiness and sadness. Calm discussion connected emotions with how children treated their friends.

There was also unfinished work. Daily routines did not give children enough chances to practise self-help at snack and meal times, and information about achievements at home was not being gathered fully enough to inform assessment and future activities. These points concern ordinary parts of the day, so their practical importance is easy for families to understand.

Sessions and Attendance

Abacus operates during term time, with opening hours of 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Its address is Dassett C of E Primary School, Memorial Road, Fenny Compton, Southam, Warwickshire, CV47 2XU. Admission begins at two years and six months, within the setting's overall age range of two to five.

Families can contact the nursery by telephone on 01295 771050 or email at admin@abacuspreschool.org.uk during term time. The school-day opening window is an important planning constraint for parents whose working hours extend beyond it.

Funding and Paid Extras

The September 2025 to July 2026 fee arrangements included Early Education funding of 15 hours weekly from the term after a child's third birthday. They also described Working Parents Free Entitlement of 30 hours weekly for eligible two- and three-year-olds, with the third-birthday term condition applying to three-year-olds and admission beginning at two years and six months. Parents needed to apply and supply a code for checking.

Those arrangements also referred to 2Help funding, with private fees applying to sessions booked beyond the child's funded allocation. Supervision of either school meals or packed lunches was included in the stated session fees, and a voluntary contribution towards snacks was requested each half term. These are the arrangements for that dated period; current prices and terms belong in the nursery's written quotation.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes close links with The Dassett Primary School to help children move from preschool to school. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, and families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Familiarity with the school hall and playground is preparation for the change, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Everyday independence. The November 2024 improvement point concerned children doing more for themselves, especially around food. During a visit, ask how snack and meal routines now give children responsibility.
• Learning between home and preschool. In November 2024, home achievements were not feeding fully into assessment and planning. Ask how families now contribute examples and how staff use them.
• Term-time hours. Opening runs from 9am to 3pm on weekdays during term time. Families needing care beyond that window should weigh this against their working pattern.
• Funding and extras. The fee arrangements covered September 2025 to July 2026. Request a current written quotation covering funded attendance, meal and snack costs, and any non-food consumables.

Abacus suits families seeking a small preschool with term-time, school-day hours and a connection to the school environment. Its November 2024 day combined purposeful language work with playground activity, weekly hall sessions and support for children to manage feelings and take responsibility. The practical questions concern how everyday independence and home-learning communication have developed, alongside the current funding and charge arrangements.