St Matthias Pre-School & Childcare Centre

An outdoor forest play area and close connections with church life give St Matthias Pre-School & Childcare Centre its character. Based on Babbacombe Road in Torquay, the pre-school welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has 28 places in total. Indoor play sits alongside outdoor exploration, making this a setting to consider for a child who enjoys learning through movement and practical experience.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest examples from that visit involved physical play, early mathematics and relationships with familiar adults. There were also two clear improvement priorities: checking that children understand activities and helping quieter children participate.

Morning and afternoon pre-school sessions are offered, with breakfast and after-school clubs providing additional attendance patterns.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, learning through play includes indoor activities and exploration in the outdoor forest play area. This is the educational foundation, rather than a separate branded programme.

In November 2024, staff planned learning around children's existing knowledge and their next steps. Counting and recognising shapes were evident in children's play. Books also supported mathematics, so stories and number work were connected rather than treated as unrelated parts of the day.

Reading involved more than sitting and listening. During that visit, children acted out birds from a story, using their bodies to join in with the storytelling. That gives a concrete picture of how books could draw children into an activity. Everyday independence received attention too: staff took time to help children learn to put on their coats themselves.

Group activities were less consistent. In November 2024, adults sometimes moved ahead without establishing whether children understood the task, leaving some children unable to complete what was intended. For parents, this is a useful distinction: thoughtful planning needs to be matched by responsive teaching during the activity itself.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor forest play area is a substantial part of the offer. In November 2024, its equipment included tyre swings, logs for jumping between and a wooden ramp leading to a tree house. Children also climbed low branches with adult support. These are specific opportunities to practise balance, climbing and persistence, rather than simply space to run around.

Nature exploration brought a gentler kind of activity. During the same visit, children discovered worms beneath logs, handled them carefully and returned them to the ground. Outdoor learning therefore included close observation and care for living things as well as physical challenge.

Community connections extend beyond the grounds. In May 2025, the pre-school's activities included visits to Mount Tryon nursing home and a remembrance display for Brunel Medical Surgery. These projects linked the pre-school with older people at Mount Tryon and with Brunel Medical Surgery through a remembrance display.

Church involvement is explicit. In May 2025, members and clergy contributed Bible stories and activities in the church each week, while families were invited to services at the end of term. Faith is part of the experience families are choosing here.

In November 2024, children had a key person and familiar staff who knew them individually. Warm relationships gave children a dependable adult connection within the setting. That personal knowledge matters alongside the activities: it helps adults recognise how a child approaches play and participation.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified special educational needs and disabilities effectively, worked with parents and other professionals on individual support, and helped children learning English through the languages champion initiative. This initiative included staff learning rhymes in children's home languages and singing them during the day. It brought those languages into ordinary nursery experiences.

School transition was also considered individually in November 2024. Staff recognised when children needed extra help with the move and worked with local schools to support that process. This is preparation for change, rather than an admissions advantage.

The participation concern deserves equal weight. During that visit, adults occasionally overlooked quieter children who were not joining an activity and did not offer help promptly enough. Families with a child who hangs back in groups have a specific point to explore, even alongside the positive findings about individual relationships and additional support.

Sessions and Attendance

The pre-school is on Babbacombe Road, Torquay, TQ1 1HW. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions from 12.15pm to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday. A lunch period runs between 11.45am and 12.15pm. These separate parts of the day make the attendance model useful for families choosing shorter pre-school sessions.

Breakfast club runs from 8.15am to 8.45am. After-school club runs from 3pm to 5.30pm. In November 2024, the pre-school operated during term time, with after-school care running Monday to Thursday and an occasional holiday club for children aged 5 to 11.

Pre-school enquiries can be made on 01803 215068 or by email to stmatthiaspreschool929@gmail.com. The registration process asks families for their preferred start date and regular sessions, alongside health, allergy and collection information. An agreed collection password is required from people collecting a child, giving families a concrete procedure to follow.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for children aged 2 to 4. Funding options include two-year-old funding and, for eligible three- and four-year-olds, 15 or 30 hours. Validation is required for the 30-hour option. Funding eligibility and the attendance pattern are separate parts of planning a place; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Participation in groups. The November 2024 improvement priorities concerned checking understanding and supporting quieter children. During a visit, ask how staff recognise a child who needs a different explanation or encouragement to join in.
• Church involvement. Weekly Bible stories and activities, together with end-of-term services, formed part of the pre-school's May 2025 programme. Consider how this religious content fits your family's preferences.
• Session costs and daily supplies. Morning, afternoon, breakfast and after-school attendance offer different ways to use the setting. Ask for a written breakdown for your chosen pattern, including how meals and consumables are handled during funded hours.

St Matthias suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school attendance, with breakfast and after-school care as additional options, and those comfortable with an active connection to church life. The outdoor forest play area gives the setting practical appeal. Mount Tryon visits featured in its May 2025 activities, while the languages champion initiative brought children's home languages into daily activities in November 2024.

The November 2024 findings provide a positive basis for considering it, while keeping group participation in view. For a quieter child, the decisive question is how the personal knowledge built through the key-person relationship translates into timely help during shared activities.