St Philips Preschool

A bird watching window, a weekly book to take home and dance sessions from HW Dance give this church-hall preschool its character. St Philips Preschool serves children from age two until they begin primary school in Upper Stratton, Swindon, with capacity for 26 children overall. Its emphasis is on play and communication: talking, stories and shared activities provide the substance of the day.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the preschool Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The current offer combines a large playroom with an enclosed outdoor space, while each child has an assigned keyworker to provide continuity through their time here.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for children's learning and care, with play helping children develop communication, independence and early learning skills. Here, that takes place in a large, bright playroom with a home corner and an area for messy activities. The arrangement changes to introduce different possibilities for play, rather than leaving children with an identical layout throughout their time at preschool.

Books have a practical place in that offer. The lending library allows each child to take home a different book every week, extending reading beyond the preschool session. HW Dance visits on a bi-weekly basis to lead dance activities, funded through fundraising. These are concrete additions to everyday play: one connects home and preschool through reading, while the other introduces a visiting dance provider.

In June 2022, dinosaur play prompted conversations about animals' bodies and whether they could swim, while children investigated fruit tea in a water tray and explored how a spray bottle worked. Those examples show the substance behind play-based learning at that time. Familiar objects became reasons to investigate, ask questions and exchange ideas, rather than simply materials to occupy children.

Early reading and writing also grew out of play in June 2022. Children explored sounds, older children began connecting them with letters, and mark-making included shopping lists and notes about bricks needed for construction. Stories were supported by props that children could later use themselves. The practical thread was clear: language and marks had a purpose within children's activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed outdoor area includes a wooden bridge, sand-pits, water trays and vegetable planters. Children help grow produce including radishes and carrots, bringing food growing into their play. The bridge supplies a balancing opportunity, while sand and water give children materials to investigate and manipulate. These are specific features for families weighing how much outdoor activity matters in their child's day.

The bird watching window brings another kind of exploration indoors. Feeders attract birds for children to observe at close quarters, and a resident squirrel family adds to the wildlife around the setting. This gives conversation a real subject: children can look at what is happening outside rather than relying entirely on pictures or adult explanations.

In June 2022, children used magnifying lenses and books to investigate bugs around a log pile, and a nearby play park was visited weekly. Outdoor provision also carried an improvement point: some children needed more opportunities for demanding movement, including climbing, balancing and pedalling. The current wooden bridge is relevant to that interest, but it does not establish that the earlier improvement point has been fully addressed.

Relationships and Communication

Every child is allocated a keyworker who remains their consistent support from starting preschool through to leaving for school. That gives families an identified relationship across their child's time here, rather than making communication depend only on whichever member of staff happens to be present. The team includes safeguarding lead roles and staff who belong to the first aid team.

In June 2022, staff shared children's progress with parents and encouraged reading at home through borrowed books. When children struggled with boundaries, staff worked with parents and other carers to keep expectations consistent. Children also used a sand timer to manage turns with a favourite toy. These examples connect communication with daily care: adults coordinated their responses, and children had a practical tool for sharing.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children needing help with language received targeted support, with specialist assistance secured where necessary. Today, designated SENCO roles provide a route for discussing special educational needs and disabilities, and the preschool directs families towards Swindon's Local Offer for services and advice. The useful distinction is between the dated finding about support in practice and the current roles available within the setting.

Families supply food and drinks for their child's session: a snack for mornings, lunch for afternoons, and both for full days. The preschool's policy prohibits nuts, sweets and fizzy drinks. Packing food is therefore part of the daily preparation for attending, with the requirements changing according to the session booked.

Illness and medication arrangements are explicit. Children must have been free of sickness or diarrhoea for 48 hours before returning, and absences should be reported by telephone that morning. Only doctor-prescribed medication can be administered, with written instructions and a signed consent form; families are contacted by telephone if a child becomes unwell or needs medical attention.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, afternoons from 11.45am to 2.45pm, and full days from 8.45am to 2.45pm. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 2.45pm. These are preschool-day hours: the full-day option finishes in mid-afternoon, a material consideration for families coordinating work or another child's collection.

Breakfast Club runs each day from 8am to 8.45am for children booked into morning or full-day sessions. It can be booked regularly or occasionally and carries a separate charge. That makes the earlier start useful for a recurring arrangement or an individual morning, while keeping it distinct from the standard session fee.

Getting There

The address is St Philips Church Hall, Beechcroft Road, Swindon, SN2 7RE. There is a small car park immediately outside the hall and an adjacent free car park with limited parking. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01793 705769 or by email at stphilipspreschool@outlook.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both funded and privately paid attendance are offered, with Nursery Education Funding received for children aged two, three and four. Private charges apply when a child is ineligible for funding or attends beyond their funded hours. Charges are organised around sessions, and families can pay weekly or monthly; current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation.

Parents provide the snacks, lunches and drinks required for attendance, including when using funded sessions. Breakfast Club has its own additional charge for morning and full-day attendees. The fees and funding page explains the session-based charge structure, while eligibility for funding depends on the relevant scheme and the family's circumstances.

The preschool describes itself as a feeder for Beechcroft Infants School and reports an established link with St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The relationship should be understood as a transition link, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Time to think. In June 2022, some staff spoke too much during conversations, leaving children insufficient space to express their ideas. On a visit, ask how practitioners now give children time to answer and develop their own thoughts.
• Physical challenge. The June 2022 improvement point concerned opportunities for every child to practise more demanding movement. Ask how climbing, balancing and pedalling are included alongside the wooden bridge and other outdoor play.
• Food from home. Snacks and lunches come from parents, and the preschool prohibits nuts. Families managing allergies should confirm current practice before agreeing their child's food arrangements.

St Philips Preschool suits families looking for morning or afternoon attendance as well as a full preschool day, with an optional earlier start through Breakfast Club. The weekly lending library, wildlife observation and visiting HW Dance sessions give the offer substance beyond a general promise of play-based learning.

The June 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection starting point, balanced by specific questions about conversational space and physical challenge. This is a practical choice for parents comfortable preparing their child's food and working around a mid-afternoon finish, who value a continuing keyworker relationship and books that travel between preschool and home.