The Wallops Pre-School

Woodland linked to the free-flow garden gives The Wallops Pre-School a clear outdoor identity. Set within the grounds of Wallop Primary School in Nether Wallop, it combines play indoors and outside with an emphasis on children doing more for themselves. Outdoor clothing, shared snacks and choosing activities are part of that practical approach to independence.

At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the pre-school Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The detail matters more than the label: children had close relationships with their key person, visitors brought the wider world into their day, and woodland activities included learning how to behave safely near a cooking fire. There were also improvements to make in staff understanding of the curriculum and the pace of questioning.

There are 24 places in total, and the pre-school welcomes children aged two to five. Full Day and Half Day attendance provide different ways to use the setting, rather than one fixed length of day.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared foundation for learning and care: children develop communication, physical skills and relationships through play and everyday experiences. Here, these areas come first, with literacy, mathematics, expressive activities and understanding the world built into what children do. This is the common early-years framework, rather than a separate branded curriculum.

Choice and shared activity sit alongside each other. Children can play independently or with friends, then join activities led by adults in smaller or larger groups. A simple daily routine includes movement, snacks and stories. For a child beginning group care, that means opportunities to pursue an interest as well as practise participating with others.

In November 2023, storytelling included children inventing narratives and using puppets to perform them. Adults also connected books with familiar experiences, such as rabbits children had seen in nearby fields. The connection between an imagined story and a recognisable animal gave conversation something concrete to build on.

The curriculum's ambitions were not equally understood by every practitioner in November 2023. Coaching needed to make its intentions clearer across the team. Some adults also moved to another question before a child had enough thinking time.

Outdoor and Community Life

The woodland area forms part of the free-flow garden, connecting outdoor exploration with the rest of the day. Children have daily access to indoor and outdoor resources, rather than outdoor learning being confined to a separate occasional event. Woodland development in 2021 added two mud kitchens and two potting tables, giving practical examples of investment in this space.

Forest School adds outdoor learning experiences alongside the EYFS. In November 2023, children took part regularly and practised fire safety while preparing strudel and custard. This was an opportunity to combine a practical task with learning about risk; it was not simply another place to play.

Other November 2023 experiences included a visit to a local farm and encounters with a beekeeper and the fire service. These gave children direct contact with people and places beyond the pre-school.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for understanding their needs and working with their family. Settling is planned jointly with parents, so the starting point is the individual child rather than a single routine applied to everyone. Parents also share what their child enjoys at home, helping staff connect familiar interests with the next steps in learning.

Tapestry, the secure online learning journal, brings together photographs, observations and comments about children's experiences. It gives families a record of what happens during their child's time here. Parents can also contribute to the progress check at age two, share interests with children and take part in discussions about activities.

In November 2023, staff offered home-learning ideas and helped families with speech and language referrals. Daily routines also supported self-care: children practised dressing for outdoor play, and tissues at the snuffle station prompted conversations about nose wiping, hand washing and germs. Small tasks were used as learning opportunities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A dedicated SENCO provides a specific point of responsibility for additional needs. At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that adaptations such as quieter space for sensory needs supported children with SEND, and that additional funding was used effectively, including buying balancing blocks to help develop strength and balance. These are dated examples of support being connected to a child's practical needs.

The pre-school has a designated safeguarding officer and arrangements for sharing welfare concerns under Hampshire safeguarding procedures. In November 2023, changes to committee membership had not all been notified to the regulator; the affected members could neither see confidential information nor attend unsupervised, and the omission had no effect on children's or staff's safety or wellbeing.

Snack time is a shared occasion for adults and children, with fruit, milk and water offered and opportunities for children to serve themselves. The pre-school has a strict no-nut policy and caters for dietary requirements and food allergies; snacks and resources attract a separate session charge.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is School Lane, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, Hants SO20 8EH, within the grounds of Wallop Primary School. Full Day sessions include a 9am start and 3pm collection; Half Day sessions begin at 8.45am or 9am and finish at 12.30pm. Friday attendance finishes at 12.30pm.

The annual attendance pattern covers 38 weeks. In November 2023, the pre-school operated during term time, Monday to Friday.

A telephone and email contact route is provided for enquiries. Once a space has been confirmed and consent forms returned, sessions count as booked and are billed. That makes the paperwork a meaningful booking step, rather than merely an expression of interest.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds over 38 weeks, beginning in the term after a child's third birthday; some parents may qualify for 30 hours. Additional attendance beyond funded hours is paid privately. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation, while the funding and fees terms explain the charging structure.

Snacks, resources, consumables and additional services carry a separate session charge. These charges sit alongside the funded-hours offer, so the funded entitlement and the total cost of attendance are separate considerations. There is also a booking fee. A month's written notice is needed when leaving or reducing sessions, with fees charged instead if that notice is not given.

Invoices are issued monthly, with payment due within 10 days unless the Management Committee agrees another arrangement. Late payment and late collection also attract charges.

Sharing grounds with Wallop Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process; choosing this pre-school and applying for school are separate decisions.

• Session choices and Friday collection. Half Day attendance finishes at 12.30pm, as does Friday provision. During a tour, clarify the Full Day start-time options and how the collection choices would work for your family.
• Curriculum coaching and conversation. November 2023 identified uneven understanding of curriculum intentions and questions that sometimes came too quickly. Ask how staff now explain an activity's purpose and give children time to answer.
• Funded hours and the total bill. Snacks, resources and consumables are charged separately, and reducing sessions requires a month's written notice. Compare the written quotation with your intended pattern, including the booking fee and notice terms.
• Outdoor play, clothing and allergies. The woodland is linked to the free-flow garden, uniform is expected, and the pre-school has a no-nut policy. Discuss suitable clothing for that outdoor day and, if allergies affect your child, confirm current food-handling practice.

The Wallops Pre-School suits families choosing between Half Day and Full Day attendance who value outdoor experiences and everyday independence. The woodland garden, online learning journal and individually planned settling give that proposition substance. Its November 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with clear improvement points concerning staff coaching and children's thinking time.

This is also a choice with practical commitments: Friday finishes earlier, uniform is expected, and funded attendance sits alongside additional charges. Families whose schedules fit those arrangements have a pre-school with a recognisable outdoor character and several ways to participate in their child's learning.