Preston Community Preschool

A garden accessible throughout the day and Makaton, which uses signing to support speech, give Preston Community Preschool a clear emphasis on active play and communication. Based at Preston Baptist Church Hall in Paignton, this charity combines Christian values with play-led learning. It welcomes children from six months until they begin school at five, and has 52 places in total.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good overall, while identifying a need for staff to extend children's vocabulary more consistently. That is a useful distinction for parents: communication has a clear place in the current approach, but the dated assessment identified room for improvement in how adults developed it during play.

Attendance is term-time, with morning and afternoon sessions alongside wraparound care. The practical appeal is a choice of shorter sessions rather than a single attendance pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Hoglets caters for babies aged six months to two years in a dedicated area within Caterpillars; Caterpillars serves children aged two to three, while Butterflies is for children aged three and above. For parents choosing baby care, the important physical detail is that Hoglets sits within the toddler room rather than occupying an entirely separate room.

In November 2022, babies used an outdoor area to develop large movements, while toddlers chose resources independently and moved between outdoor and indoor activities. Older children practised concentration through familiar stories and developed skills for starting school. These are examples of the day at that date, rather than a description of today's room routines.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care: here, children explore through play, with creative activities, movement and opportunities to work alongside others. Staff bring children's interests into planned activities and also organise adult-led groups. This gives the day both child-chosen exploration and shared experiences that introduce something new.

Makaton adds signing to spoken communication. The Thrive ethos addresses emotional development in relation to wellbeing and learning. Both complement the Early Years Foundation Stage within the preschool's play-led approach. Their practical relevance is different: one supports communication, while the other gives emotional development an explicit place in the learning environment.

Paddington's Postcards brings a recurring link with the wider world. Through this UNICEF initiative, a postcard arrives each month, introducing children to countries and the lives of other children. It supplies a concrete starting point for talking about places beyond their own surroundings.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large garden is accessible throughout the day, with outdoor play encouraged in different weather conditions. That makes outdoor activity part of the ordinary session rather than something confined to a single scheduled slot. It is a useful feature for children who enjoy movement and learning outside.

In November 2022, a dance activity used lightweight scarves, and staff talked with children about how movement affected their heartbeat. Singing also helped mark changes between activities. These examples connect physical activity and communication to familiar parts of the day, rather than treating learning as a succession of seated tasks.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is allocated a key worker and joins a small group, giving them a consistent adult to support working and playing with others. The Famly On-Line Learning Journal records achievements and development, with individual logins for parents. Families therefore have a way to follow their child's learning beyond conversations at the preschool.

Observation is part of planning: staff continually review what children do and use their interests to shape activities. In November 2022, staff also met monthly to discuss observations and plan next steps. The distinction matters: the journal is a current communication mechanism, while the monthly meeting pattern belongs to that dated account.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and recognised staff's knowledge of individual children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, but found inconsistent care and support could delay meeting those children's needs. Both parts matter when weighing the Good judgement. The concern was about consistency in practice, rather than whether staff knew the children.

The current staff structure includes an Early Years Lead Language Practitioner working alongside a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. This identifies roles through which speech, language and additional needs can be addressed; it does not establish that the earlier concern has been resolved.

In November 2022, babies and younger children had quiet areas for sleep. Children also practised everyday independence by washing their hands before snacks and choosing fruit for themselves. These small routines give a concrete picture of care at that date, with rest and self-help woven into the session.

Christian values extend to celebrating Christian occasions and providing pastoral support for children and families. Parents weighing the preschool should consider that ethos alongside its approach to play and communication.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Preston Baptist Church Hall, Old Torquay Road, Paignton, TQ3 2RB. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm.

Breakfast club offers starts at 8am or 8.30am, and after school club offers finishes at 3.30pm or 4pm. For babies, wraparound care is offered from 8am to 4pm. These extensions allow families to combine a session with additional care around its edges.

The term calendar includes half-term breaks and holidays between terms, so the attendance model needs to fit the family's holiday arrangements as well as its weekday routine. Enquiries can be made by email or through the online contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

The preschool accepts funding for two-year-olds and 15 and 30 hours funded childcare. Its term-time operation gives families a clear calendar context for attendance. Private paid childcare is also offered, with current prices obtained through a written quotation from the preschool.

Snacks carry an additional charge per session for all children, including those using funded childcare; that contribution also covers extras. It is therefore separate from the childcare hours themselves. Families comparing attendance patterns should consider the session contribution alongside any privately paid hours.

• Speech and additional needs. The November 2022 findings called for more ambitious vocabulary and more consistent support for children with additional needs. During a visit, ask how the language practitioner and co-ordinator translate their roles into consistent practice across staff.
• Baby-room arrangement. Hoglets occupies a dedicated area within Caterpillars. Ask how sleeping babies and active toddlers are accommodated together, and what that arrangement would mean for your child's routine.
• Term-time attendance. Morning and afternoon sessions provide different ways to use the preschool, with clubs extending the day. Holiday breaks still need to fit your family's care arrangements, and snacks attract a separate session contribution.

Preston Community Preschool suits families seeking either morning or afternoon attendance during term time, with extensions around those sessions. Its garden, signing-supported communication and monthly Paddington's Postcards give parents concrete reasons to consider it, while the key-worker system and learning journal provide identifiable links between home and preschool.

The November 2022 Good judgement is useful context, but the language and additional-needs concerns deserve attention during a visit. For babies, the shared room arrangement is another material decision point. The strongest fit is a family that values play-led learning, outdoor access and a Christian ethos, and whose care needs align with the term calendar.