Puddleducks Under Fives

Free movement between indoor play and the outside area gives Puddleducks Under Fives its character: children can follow their interests rather than spend the whole session in one space. Based at Lawley Community Centre in Telford, it welcomes children from age two and has 26 places in total. This is preschool provision, with practical independence threaded through the day.

At its October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement matters: children experimented with mixtures, concentrated on puzzles and helped one another across an obstacle course, while staff practice needed greater consistency in behaviour, settling and activity organisation.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions sit alongside breakfast and a short extension after the main day. That choice gives families several ways to use the setting, although its term-time calendar remains an important constraint.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the required framework for learning, development and care: children build communication, physical and social skills alongside early literacy, number work, creativity and understanding their surroundings. It is the common foundation for early-years provision, rather than an extra offered by Puddleducks. Here, play spaces for books, construction, creative work and role play give children different ways to explore those areas.

Morning sessions include singing, stories and dough disco. A rolling snack arrangement lets children access fruit and a carbohydrate food during the session, with milk and water provided. The afternoon follows a similar pattern, with children encouraged to look after their belongings and take part in self-registration. These are small opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

In October 2023, children investigated what happened when ingredients were combined to make play dough. Staff discussed how to change a watery mixture, and children explored smells as spices were added. Blocks and puzzles offered a different kind of challenge: children concentrated on stacking and fitting pieces together. Learning involved testing ideas as well as completing a task.

Organisation was a weaker point at that visit. Sometimes an activity attracted more children than its resources could accommodate, limiting their participation. That matters alongside the interesting activities themselves: a good idea needs enough materials for the children who want to join in.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children can choose between outside and indoor play through the free-flow arrangement. In October 2023, outdoor equipment supported balancing and climbing, and children cooperated to complete an obstacle course. The physical challenge also created opportunities to help another child.

Lawley Primary School is next door. Puddleducks describes its links with the school as helping children prepare for the move to primary education, while remaining separate from the school.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for their individual needs, photographs and next steps in learning. Interests help shape those next steps, giving parents a specific member of staff to work with rather than an entirely general point of contact.

In October 2023, staff gathered information about children's interests and care routines from families and kept parents informed about learning and ways to support it at home. However, that knowledge was not consistently used when a child became distressed. The improvement needed was practical: staff had to make better use of familiar preferences and routines to help children settle.

Behaviour support also needed more explanation at that visit. Children were reminded about rules, but staff did not consistently discuss why an action mattered or its effect on others. Stopping an action and helping a child understand it are different tasks. A positive behaviour lead now forms part of the staff structure.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO coordinates support with families and outside agencies, and the setting can apply for inclusion funding to provide additional help. At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff observations and assessment helped identify additional needs and obtain specialist support for children with SEND. The current mechanism gives families a defined route for discussing concerns; the dated finding explains how assessment worked at the visit.

Safeguarding responsibilities include a designated lead and deputy roles, while an asthma champion helps keep staff informed about children's medical and dietary needs. In October 2023, six staff were employed, all holding level 3 qualifications; that is a snapshot of the team at that time.

For full-day attendance, parents supply lunch and staff supervise the meal, helping children when needed. Snacks are provided, while nappies and wipes come from home. Families also supply labelled spare clothing and outdoor clothing, including wellies and an all-in-one to keep at nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

Term-time attendance runs Monday to Friday, with closure during school holidays. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, afternoons from noon to 2.45pm, and the full day from 8.45am to 2.45pm. Full-day children follow the morning and afternoon activities and bring a packed lunch.

Puddleducks Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 8.30am and provides cereal, toast and fruit, alongside play areas and access outside. It can be used when needed without advance booking, with usage invoiced monthly. The extended session runs from 2.45pm to 3.15pm; this requires a booking and is charged according to use. These are separate additions, rather than one continuous published extended-day session.

Applications enter a waiting list. Once a place is offered, signed terms and conditions and a deposit secure it; the deposit is refunded when the child leaves provided the terms have been followed. Morning, afternoon and full-day charges are invoiced a month ahead, with payment due on the first of the month. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is Lawley Community Centre, Arleston Lane, Lawley, Telford TF4 2PR. Enquiries can be made by WhatsApp or email to admin@puddleduckstelford.co.uk.

Puddleducks' stated links with Lawley Primary School do not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered within the term-time model, including the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, eligible two-year-old funding starting in the term after the second birthday, and 30-hour entitlements for eligible working families. Eligibility conditions apply; children attending without funding pay session charges. The application information places the start of three-year-old funding in the term after the third birthday.

Parents supply packed lunches and non-food consumables such as nappies and wipes, while the nursery provides snacks. Breakfast and the afternoon extension have their own charges, so the attendance pattern and any additions need to be considered together.

• Consistency of care. October 2023 improvement points concerned settling upset children, explaining behaviour and organising sufficient activity resources. At a showround, ask how staff now handle these situations across the team.
• The edges of the day. Breakfast ends at 8.30am, the morning starts at 8.45am, and the afternoon extension ends at 3.15pm. Ask how the gap between breakfast and the morning session works for your proposed attendance pattern; school holidays also require a separate family arrangement.
• Application and payment sequence. The showround route asks for an application and payment to enter the waiting list, while the main application route places the deposit after an offer. Clarify the sequence before paying, including the terms governing its eventual refund.

Puddleducks suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting a full day with optional breakfast or a short afternoon extension. Free-flow outdoor play, a key-person arrangement and links supporting the move to primary school give it a clear practical shape.

The October 2023 Good judgement sits alongside specific concerns about consistency, rather than cancelling them out. The decision turns on how today's team settles children, explains behaviour and makes activities accessible, and whether the published attendance patterns fit family life.