Bradworthy Pre-School

A purpose-built classroom, an outdoor sand pit and a parent-run committee give Bradworthy Pre-School its character: a community pre-school within the grounds of Bradworthy Primary Academy, but independently run. It takes children aged 2 to 5 and has capacity for 13 children. That is a whole-setting limit, rather than a promise about the number attending a particular session.

At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, while identifying a need for better support for younger children's participation and speech, and more useful guidance for parents about learning at home. Those two points matter alongside the grade, especially for families starting with a younger child.

Term-time attendance shapes the offer. Full days are an option for children old enough to attend them, with an age restriction and a weekly session limit that deserve attention before choosing a pattern.

Learning and Activities

Choice drives much of the day. Children select activities within structured play, with both adult-directed experiences and opportunities to follow their own interests; stories, eating together and group activities provide shared points in the routine. This gives children practice in making decisions while also learning to participate with others.

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and everyday experiences helping them build knowledge and skills for school. Bradworthy organises activities around a topic that changes each half term, linking conversation, creative work, music and stories rather than treating each as an isolated activity.

Past topics show how that works. In September 2019, WHO WE ARE explored identity, families, community, and differences and similarities between people. In March 2020, Growth involved making caterpillars and introducing the word metamorphosis. These are examples of earlier learning, rather than a calendar of activities for children joining now.

Practical exploration was also evident in January 2022. Children used hammers to put nails into wood with adult support, then tried screwdrivers as their control developed. Story sessions involved remembering what had happened and contributing ideas. During play dough activities, staff added descriptive words and modelled sentence construction, connecting language with something children were already doing.

The younger children's experience needs equal attention. In January 2022, adult interaction did not consistently draw them into activities or give them enough encouragement to speak. For parents of a quieter two-year-old, the useful issue is how practitioners adapt a shared activity so that their child can take part.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large classroom is accompanied by a kitchen area, children's toilets and a disabled toilet. Outdoors, a playhouse and built-in sand pit provide different settings for play. These concrete features give the pre-school both indoor activity space and an outdoor area within the academy grounds.

The charity is run by a committee of parents and carers working with staff. Families therefore have a potential role in the organisation supporting their children's care, as well as a relationship with the practitioners delivering it.

Relationships and communication deserve as much attention as activities. At the January 2022 inspection, Ofsted found the key-person arrangements effective in helping hesitant children settle gradually, and safeguarding arrangements effective. This is a dated judgement, rather than an assurance about present practice.

In January 2022, children practised everyday independence through putting on coats, washing and drying their hands, and managing their own noses. Adults also gave advance warning before tidying up, allowing children to finish what they were doing. These details show how ordinary routines contributed to learning alongside planned activities.

Each child has a Learning Journey, a written account of progress from starting pre-school through the move to school. It gives families a continuing record rather than relying entirely on informal conversations. In January 2022, staff also used a lending library to encourage reading at home, but parents needed more precise guidance about the next skills their children were working towards.

Healthy snacks come with milk or water; lunch can be brought from home or ordered as a separately paid school meal. This gives families a choice between preparing a packed lunch and buying lunch through the pre-school.

Sessions and Attendance

Bradworthy Pre-School is on Mill Road, Bradworthy, Devon, EX22 7RT, within Bradworthy Primary Academy's grounds. Opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure during school holidays.

Children younger than 2 and a half cannot attend a full day. Attendance is capped at 6 sessions a week, which the pre-school equates to 3 full days, even though it offers 30-hour funding. Families need to distinguish the funding entitlement from the attendance pattern this setting permits.

Applications are handled in submission order. A Registration of Interest form starts the enquiry process without obliging either side to accept or offer a place; an enrolment application requires completed forms, followed by staff confirmation. Places and sessions can be reserved no more than a term ahead.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 15 hours per week for three- and four-year-olds starting in the term after their third birthday, and up to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks for eligible working families with children of those ages; eligible two-year-olds can also receive funding. The setting operates during term time. Eligibility conditions apply, and working-parent entitlement requires a code that the provider checks and parents reconfirm every 3 months.

Private hours are charged when a child exceeds their funded allowance or is ineligible for funding, with monthly invoices. Lunch is either parent-provided or charged separately when ordered through the pre-school. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; its fees and funding page explains the charging structure.

Sharing the academy site does not confer a Reception place. Bradworthy Pre-School operates independently, and attendance does not guarantee admission to Bradworthy Primary Academy.

• Starting before two and a half. Full-day attendance is ruled out for this age group. During a visit, discuss a suitable session pattern and how staff help younger children participate and develop their speech, the January 2022 improvement priority.
• Funding and attendance. The maximum is 6 sessions weekly, described as 3 full days, despite the offer of 30-hour funding. Consider whether that pattern fits your childcare needs, and ask how non-food consumables are handled.
• Learning at home. The Learning Journey records progress, but January 2022 brought a call for more detailed guidance to parents. Ask to see how next steps are now communicated and translated into manageable activities at home.
• Absence charges. Holiday notice terms conflict: the fees page specifies one week's notice, while the parent information specifies a month plus an authorised form. Obtain the applicable written terms before booking; sickness absence remains chargeable, subject to exceptional review.

Bradworthy suits families seeking term-time pre-school attendance, whether arranging individual sessions or full days for children who meet the age condition. The classroom, outdoor playhouse and sand pit, topic-led activities and written Learning Journey give the offer a clear shape.

The January 2022 Good judgement provides a useful starting point, with younger children's language support and guidance for learning at home the key matters to explore. The session cap and independent relationship with the academy are equally important to the decision: childcare arrangements and Reception admission need separate planning.