Exminster Pre-school

School preparation has a concrete shape at Exminster Pre-school: Cygnets introduces children to Exminster Community Primary School through summer-term sessions, teacher visits and time in the school itself. This village setting combines play-based learning with a parent-elected committee, giving families a role in decisions as well as their child's daily care.

Children attend from age two until they start primary school, and the setting has 45 places in total. At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Exminster Pre-school Good and found safeguarding arrangements effective. That judgement is dated; the practical offer now includes both term-time attendance and attendance across the year.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside breakfast, lunch and later-day clubs. The important distinction for parents is choice: a shorter session and a day assembled from several booked parts are both part of the model.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS sets the standards for children's learning, development and care: here, structured play and activities provide the means to practise skills and build relationships. A Key Person system connects observations of each child with planning for their individual needs. This gives the day a personal starting point rather than treating children simply as an age group.

In March 2022, younger children practised precise hand movements by moving pom-poms with tweezers, while musical shakers accompanied songs. Older children explored letters from their names, beginning word sounds and counting. These examples connect play with useful foundations: handling small objects, listening closely and beginning to express ideas through marks and language.

Movement also had a place in the March 2022 day. Parachute games involved stretching and lifting, and a visiting yoga teacher led weekly sessions. Those were opportunities to move in different ways, alongside quieter activities requiring concentration. They belong to that period, rather than a promise about today's activity timetable.

The March 2022 inspection identified two areas needing attention: Ofsted found that older children's existing skills were not consistently extended, and that some children learning English alongside another language needed more opportunities to hear and use their home language. These are useful distinctions for parents looking beyond enjoyable activities to how staff adapt learning for their particular child.

Preparing for School

Cygnets adds a specific bridge between preschool and Reception. Exminster Pre-school describes a partnership with Exminster Community Primary School: Reception teachers spend time with children at preschool during the first half of the summer term, joining phonics and maths activities. In the second half, children make weekly school visits, with opportunities to eat their packed lunch there and try a cooked school dinner.

The practical value is familiarity with people, routines and surroundings before the move. Attendance does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process. The programme supports preparation, rather than conferring an admissions advantage.

A key person provides the link between a child's needs and the activities planned for them. Settling-in sessions attended with a parent or carer are free, allowing a supported introduction before the child attends independently. For families approaching their first separation, that is a useful part of the joining arrangements.

In March 2022, children practised dressing for outdoor play; older children also served themselves drinks and buttered their toast. Staff also discussed handwashing, tooth care and healthy foods. These small tasks matter because preparation for school includes managing ordinary routines as well as early literacy and number work.

In March 2022, staff shared progress updates and supplied cooking packs containing ingredients for families to use at home. In October 2022, Tapestry was the online key-working system used to help parents follow their child's progress. These dated examples show two different ways of connecting learning at preschool with family life.

Parents also have a formal voice. The volunteer committee is elected by parents at the annual general meeting and takes responsibility for finances, staffing, policies and fundraising. Committee meeting minutes can be requested, and policies are reviewed by staff and committee members. Families considering a committee role would be taking part in the organisation of the setting, as well as supporting events.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Deepway Centre, Deepway Lane, Exminster, Exeter, EX6 8BG. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday and 7.30am to 3.15pm on Friday. The setting opens for 50 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas.

The booking parts are precise: Extended Breakfast runs from 7.30am to 8am, Breakfast Club from 8am to 9am, Morning from 9am to noon and Lunch from noon to 1pm. Afternoon runs from 1pm to 3.15pm; Extended Afternoon follows from 3.15pm to 4pm, then After School Club from 4pm to 5pm. The final two parts operate Monday to Thursday, rather than Friday.

Families can choose term-time attendance, attendance throughout the year, or term-time attendance with holiday sessions booked separately. A morning can include lunch, and children attending in the afternoon are encouraged to bring lunch to eat with those continuing from the morning.

Applications go onto a waiting list and do not guarantee a place. Once a place is accepted, further family information and the child's birth certificate are required. Enquiries and requests for an application form go to info@exminsterpreschool.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The setting offers 15-hour and 30-hour funded entitlements, with eligibility conditions applying to the additional hours for working families, and participates in the funding scheme for eligible two-year-olds. The universal offer described for children from the term after their third birthday is 15 hours each week for 38 weeks. Families complete funding information when joining and review their claims each term.

Hours outside funded entitlement are invoiced, except for parent-accompanied settling-in sessions; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Snacks and drinks have no additional charge, while children staying for lunch bring their own packed lunch and drink. The funding and fees page explains this structure.

• Stretch for older children. Extending existing skills was an improvement point in March 2022. During a visit, ask how activities are adapted when a child has already mastered the starting task.
• Two languages. Home-language opportunities were another March 2022 concern. Families raising a bilingual child should discuss how both languages will be used in everyday play and conversation.
• Friday's shorter day. Friday finishes at 3.15pm, while later clubs run on the other weekdays. Match that difference to your working week before choosing sessions.
• Cygnets and Reception. The school partnership offers familiarisation, but attendance does not guarantee admission. Keep the local authority application separate from preschool joining arrangements.

Exminster Pre-school suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, with the option to add lunch and other parts of the day, and those choosing between term-time and year-round attendance. Cygnets gives school preparation a tangible form, while the elected parent committee creates a route into decisions about the setting.

The dated Good judgement provides a useful starting point, with the two learning concerns deserving a focused conversation. The strongest fit is for parents who value play-based preschool provision, practical school familiarisation and an attendance model built from separate sessions.