Clifton Street Preschool

Garden experiments and a neighbouring nature reserve give Clifton Street Preschool a recognisable character. Beside Radnor Street Cemetery and Nature Reserve, on the edge of Swindon's Old Town, children have opportunities to explore seasonal change and wildlife. This is a charity-led preschool with parents involved in its management, rather than simply customers of its care.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and found effective safeguarding, teaching adapted to individual needs, and positive progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There was also a clear improvement point: some everyday routines interrupted children's concentration.

The preschool has 26 places in total and accepts children from their third birthday. Its current age range is three to five, with the day organised around preschool learning. Term-time attendance includes mornings and longer days, all beginning at 9am.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides learning through play, with activities shaped around children's interests and development. That means the educational framework is translated into things children can investigate, practise and talk about.

In July 2025, garden play included transferring liquids and making mixtures using spoons, pipettes and syringes. Staff developed these investigations with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, asking questions that encouraged children to explain their thinking. The physical resources mattered: different containers gave children a reason to keep trying and adjust what they were doing.

Number work also had a practical purpose. In July 2025, children considered how many cups and plates were needed when preparing a table. Staff left time for them to work out an answer. Counting was connected to a task children could understand, rather than treated as an isolated exercise.

Small-group stories were matched to children's development in July 2025, with different choices for younger children and those approaching school. Questions about what might happen next invited participation. Simple signs were also used during everyday tasks to help children learning English understand what was happening.

Weekly Zumba sessions add a recurring activity to the offer and are covered by the consumable charge. Alongside those sessions, the emphasis remains on play that follows children's interests. Families can expect both a familiar weekly activity and room for spontaneous exploration.

Outdoor and Community Life

Radnor Street Cemetery and Nature Reserve provides a local setting for investigating nature and the seasons. The preschool's garden also featured directly in the July 2025 account of children's play. Outdoor learning therefore has both an immediate space for experimentation and a connection with the surrounding area.

Community involvement extends to how the preschool is run. Its committee draws on parents, carers and local people, giving families a route to contribute to the organisation behind their child's daily experience.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with an introduction to the child's key person. Children initially attend shorter sessions, which grow as their confidence develops; if separation proves difficult, a parent can remain alongside them until they are ready. The arrangement gives the settling period room to respond to the individual child.

Tapestry is the digital learning journal used to share observations. Parents can add their own contributions as well as view staff entries, while newsletters and invoices arrive through the same app. When a child leaves, their journal is converted into a PDF for the family to keep. This brings learning updates and practical correspondence into one place.

An open-door policy welcomes parents and carers. The management committee usually gathers once each half term, overseeing policies, staff management and fundraising. Its role is substantial: family participation helps sustain the preschool as well as shape its decisions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager holds both the SENCO and safeguarding lead roles, giving families identifiable responsibilities within the team. At the July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND participated in daily life and that settling arrangements responded to families' needs. Those findings sit alongside the current, gradual settling approach rather than replacing the need to discuss an individual child's support.

In July 2025, snack routines included children serving their peers while adults remained with the group. This made eating a chance to practise cooperation and independence, with support close by.

A vegetarian morning snack combines fruit or vegetables with foods such as cheese, crackers or pitta, and children can drink water or milk. Snacks are covered by a separate consumable charge, rather than included within funded hours.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Sessions all start at 9am, with finishes at noon, 1pm, 2pm or 3pm. The different lengths allow families to choose a morning or a longer preschool day; they do not provide school-holiday care.

Funded attendance can be arranged as five mornings ending at noon, three days ending at 2pm, or different lengths on different days within the funded allowance. These are practical alternatives for families whose weekly routines vary.

Joining uses an application form, and the preschool advises early registration because waiting lists can develop. Children cannot begin before their third birthday. Leaving requires four weeks' written notice.

Getting There

The setting operates from Clifton Street Social Hall, Clifton Street, Swindon, SN1 3QB. The telephone contact is 01793 491187; applications can also be returned by email to cliftonstreetpreschool@gmail.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

The preschool offers 15 hours of funding over 38 weeks, starting in the term after a child's third birthday, and accepts 30-hour funding for eligible families. Funding follows the term-time model. Privately paid sessions are also offered between a child's third birthday and the start of their funded entitlement; current prices should come in a written quotation.

A separate daily consumable charge covers snacks and extras, including weekly Zumba, and is invoiced at the beginning of each term. Children receiving Pupil Premium are exempt from that charge. Despite its label, the charge explicitly covers food and activities, so families should distinguish those items from non-food supplies.

• Concentration during routines. In July 2025, some children became distracted during everyday transitions and activities, and staff did not consistently keep them involved. During a visit, ask how the review of the daily routine is addressing these moments.
• Term-time planning. Every session begins at 9am and the latest finish is 3pm, with closure during school holidays. This suits a school-term routine but requires separate arrangements outside those hours and dates.
• Address details. The setting's address is Clifton Street Social Hall, SN1 3QB, while its contact details use SN1 3PY. Confirm the destination when arranging a visit.
• Food and supplies for longer sessions. The morning snack and weekly Zumba sit within the separate consumable charge, with an exemption for children receiving Pupil Premium. Snacks are charged separately; ask how lunch and non-food supplies are arranged for longer sessions.

Clifton Street Preschool suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or longer preschool days, with play-led learning and a gradual start. Garden investigations, the neighbouring nature reserve and parent contributions through Tapestry give its offer substance. The July 2025 concern about maintaining attention during routines deserves a focused conversation. For parents comfortable with the hours and interested in contributing to a charity-led setting, there is a clear community role as well as a childcare arrangement.