Camel Pre-School

Two age-specific rooms and a school-ground setting give Camel Pre-School its shape: Ladybird Room serves younger children, while Butterfly Room takes them towards school age. Based at Stockham Primary School in Wantage, Camel welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has capacity for 30 children. The distinction matters: that is the whole setting’s capacity, rather than the size of either room.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Camel Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical threads are personal relationships, play-led learning and contact with the neighbouring school. There were also clear teaching-development priorities, especially around knowing when to join children’s play and making group activities accessible to children needing extra support.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit alongside breakfast and after-school care during term time. For parents, that gives a choice between a shorter preschool session and a longer childcare day, rather than a single attendance pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Ladybird Room is for children aged 2 to 3; Butterfly Room serves ages 3 to 5, giving each age group its own base.

In June 2023, staff had reorganised children into two groups to help those finding the start of preschool unsettling, adapting the arrangement to children’s settling needs.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children develop language, physical skills, early mathematics and social confidence through play and practical experiences. At Camel, stories, conversation, making and exploring translate those areas into things children can actually do.

A book corner gives children access to books for pictures, stories and finding things out. Group conversations, songs and rhymes build opportunities to listen and speak, while drawing and writing introduce the idea that marks can communicate meaning. The curriculum page sets out this everyday approach rather than a separate branded programme.

Early mathematics starts with handling and comparing things. Children count, match and sort, then use language about size, shape and position to solve practical problems. Creative work uses materials such as crayons, paint, glue and discarded resources, allowing children to choose how to express an idea instead of all producing the same finished object.

In June 2023, younger children acted out We're Going on a Bear Hunt, while older children asked questions during shared stories. Adults explained unfamiliar vocabulary as part of these exchanges. The examples show how a book can lead into movement, imaginative play and conversation, rather than remaining only a listening activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The June 2023 daily routine included access to a large outdoor area. Children practised balancing on a large wooden climbing frame, tackled wooden steps and used big construction blocks in play inspired by traditional stories. An outdoor easel supported painting and early mark-making; indoors, flour and cocoa powder offered another way to explore marks and patterns.

A summer outing to Bucklebury Farm was planned for July 2024, with parents, carers and siblings invited and coach transport included: an opportunity for families to join an activity together.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person to support settling and maintain contact with home. This relationship connects curriculum planning with the child’s experiences outside preschool.

Parents contribute observations alongside staff, and children’s records are open for families to see. This makes communication more than a report sent home: family knowledge can help shape the next activity or learning opportunity. In June 2023, parents knew their child’s key person and received regular updates about development and learning.

Camel is also supported by a voluntary committee, largely drawn from parents and carers. Elected annually in the autumn term, it works with the manager on staffing, finances and administration. Committee minutes are accessible on the notice board, giving families a practical way to understand how decisions are made and to take part in running the organisation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes a SENCO, Language Lead and safeguarding lead roles. Staff training covers first aid, allergy awareness, food hygiene and safeguarding.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified children needing additional help and worked with specialist agencies, but sometimes missed chances to support language through play, while some group activities did not engage every child; it also called for more precise staff supervision, monitoring and training to improve teaching. Both sides matter. Recognising a need is useful, but the adult’s next action during play determines whether that recognition becomes help the child can use.

In June 2023, additional funding supported targeted help, extra sessions and learning resources. Children also discussed exercise, drinking regularly and caring for their teeth. Parents provide a packed lunch, so food planning remains part of the family’s preparation for the day.

Sessions and Attendance

Camel’s address is Stockham Primary School, Stockham Way, Wantage, OX12 9HL. Its opening window is 8am to 6pm on weekdays during term time. The contact form, email and telephone provide direct enquiry routes; telephone enquiries are taken within that opening window.

The Full Day runs from 8.50am to 3pm. Morning Session is 8.50am to 11.45am, and Afternoon Session runs from 12.30pm to 3pm. Lunch Session bridges the middle of the day, from 11.45am to 12.30pm. This gives parents a clearly defined choice of preschool blocks, including a full day spanning both learning sessions.

Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 8.50am. After School Club starts at 3pm, with collection at either 4.30pm or 6pm, and both clubs accept children aged 2 and older. Collection times need to fit the family’s routine: children are released to a parent or guardian unless another arrangement has been agreed beforehand.

Names can join the waiting list from 18 months. That is a rule about when to register interest, rather than an indication of a space. Term-time attendance should also be distinguished from occasional holiday clubs, which Camel runs at selected points in school holidays.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the term-time 15-hour entitlement for children aged 3 and 4, support-based 15-hour provision and 30-hour funding for eligible working families. Camel accepts children from age 2.

Funded hours can be used for wraparound care as well as preschool sessions. Funding starts at 9am, with the 8.50am to 9am settling period provided free of additional charge. The fees and funding page gives examples of arranging funded hours across full days and extended attendance; these illustrate choices rather than imposing one weekly pattern.

Paid sessions and clubs are offered alongside funding, and bills are issued termly. Current prices belong in the nursery’s written quotation. Parents supply packed lunches, including when using funded hours. A full term’s written notice is required when withdrawing a child or reducing sessions; without it, a term’s fee may be charged, and absence does not generate a refund.

Moving on to School

Camel occupies its own building within the school grounds. In June 2023, preschool children visited the neighbouring Reception class weekly and took part in assemblies and the Christmas performance. Those experiences made school routines familiar before the eventual move. Attendance at Camel does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Support during play. The June 2023 improvement priorities concerned adult intervention, participation in group activities and staff development. During a visit, ask how practitioners now involve children who need extra language or SEND support.
• Term-time planning. Regular care follows a term-time pattern, with occasional holiday clubs rather than a year-round timetable. Families needing holiday care should plan around that distinction.
• Lunch and everyday supplies. Packed lunches come from home. Ask which non-food items you should bring for your child’s chosen sessions.
• Changing attendance. Reducing sessions requires a full term’s written notice, and absence does not qualify for a refund. Factor those terms into decisions about work patterns and ongoing bookings.

Camel suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool, as well as those combining a full preschool day with breakfast or after-school care. Its age-specific rooms, key-person arrangements and parent involvement give the offer a clear identity. In June 2023, Reception visits and school activities helped children become familiar with school life; admissions remain separate.

The June 2023 judgement provides a positive foundation, with specific teaching priorities that deserve attention. For parents, the decision rests on the fit between the child’s support needs, a term-time routine and the session pattern the family actually needs.