East the Water Stepping Stones Pre School

Babies through to children preparing for school share the offer at East the Water Stepping Stones Pre School, a charity-run setting on Avon Road in Bideford. It welcomes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 44 places in total. That broad age span makes it relevant to families choosing early childcare as well as those seeking preschool provision.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement included outdoor exploration, creative play and relationships that helped children settle. There were also two clear priorities: more consistent communication support and more opportunities for children to do things independently.

Flexible hours accommodate term-time attendance and care across the year. The practical offer now extends across 50 weeks, with a Christmas closure.

Rooms and Ages

Three rooms organise the provision across the building, with learning opportunities adapted to children's ages. Butterfly Room and Caterpillar Room are among the named spaces. For a setting accepting babies and preschool children, that organisation matters: activities need to match very different stages of development.

In May 2023, younger children had their own outdoor space, where balancing toys and a rocking boat supported movement and turn-taking. Older children used a large pirate ship for climbing, sliding and invented games. These were physical opportunities to practise coordination as well as play together.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that brings play, communication and growing practical skills into the nursery day, rather than treating preparation for school as formal lessons alone.

In May 2023, creative activities included stretching play dough, painting with sponge rollers and learning to cut shapes safely. Children could experiment with materials while practising the hand control needed for later tasks. Books, action songs and work on the first sounds in words added language and early literacy experiences.

Outdoor learning also had substance at that visit. Children searched for insects with magnifying glasses, counted beanbags thrown into baskets and watched vegetables grow. Radishes and spring onions connected new vocabulary with something children could see changing. Pouring and filling water containers gave younger children another route into mathematical ideas through practical play.

A key person provides the main contact for each child and family. Settling-in visits introduce children to the staff and surroundings, while conversations about preferences, eating, sleep and routines help staff carry familiar habits into care. This gives parents a concrete starting point for sharing what helps their child feel comfortable.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with families and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and disabilities, but communication strategies such as signing and visual aids were used inconsistently. That distinction matters: support involved collaboration, while its day-to-day consistency needed further attention.

In May 2023, electronic communication supplemented conversations with parents, and teachers from children's next schools were invited to meet them. Staff also exchanged information with other settings children attended. Those arrangements helped connect the adults involved in a child's care and move towards school.

Children chose fruit snacks at that visit. However, opportunities to prepare snacks, pour drinks and care for garden plants needed more deliberate planning so that children could practise doing these jobs themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Avon Road, Bideford, EX39 4BL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, including bank holidays; the setting operates for 50 weeks and closes for two weeks over Christmas.

Flexible hours are offered, with term-time attendance and the option to spread funded hours across the year. Opening hours define the operating window, while the flexible booking approach allows families to consider attendance around their own routines. Visits can be arranged by telephone on 01237 475562.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded hours are accepted, and stretched funding means using fewer hours each week across more weeks. The funding routes include 15 Hours Free for children aged three and four, 30 Hours Free (Working Families) for eligible working parents of children aged nine months to four years, and 2-Year-Old Funding for families receiving additional support.

Private childcare is also offered. The sessions and fees page sets out the attendance and funding options.

• Communication and independence. In May 2023, communication strategies were uneven and children needed more chances to manage practical tasks themselves. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how staff now support these skills.
• Babies within a broad age range. The setting accepts children from 3 months and organises provision across three rooms. Ask how room allocation and daily routines would work for your child's stage.
• The funded-hours quotation. Stretched funding can spread attendance across more weeks. Ask for a written breakdown of how meals and non-food consumables are handled for your proposed booking.

East the Water Stepping Stones Pre School suits families seeking term-time attendance or flexible hours across the year, including those starting childcare with a baby. Its key-person arrangements give settling a practical structure, while the May 2023 picture showed outdoor play with purposeful learning attached. Communication consistency and children's everyday independence remain the useful points to explore when deciding whether it fits your child.