Love Lane Pre-School

Parent involvement gives this village-hall pre-school its character: a volunteer committee oversees finances, employs the team and helps shape the setting’s future. Love Lane Pre-School operates at Shaw-cum-Donnington Village Hall in Donnington, Newbury, accepting children aged two, three and four, with 26 places in total. This is a setting where families can take part in decisions as well as receive updates about their child.

Ofsted rated Love Lane Good at its 29 January 2024 inspection and found safeguarding effective. Its current offer combines play chosen by children, creative activities and outdoor exploration, with Every Child a Talker (ECAT), a programme supporting speech, language and communication through stories, songs, conversation and play. Familiar relationships matter too: each child has a key worker, and parents can stay for part of an initial visit to support settling.

Attendance centres on weekday mornings during term time, with an extended-hours arrangement involving the neighbouring primary school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop through play, conversation and activities, with observations recording their development. Tapestry, the online learning journal, connects that work with home. ECAT adds a specific emphasis on vocabulary, listening and confidence in speaking, using everyday conversation, stories, songs and play.

Creative play has plenty of concrete ingredients. Children can experiment with shaving foam, water and sand, make models, paint, draw, tackle puzzles and use role play. These experiences give them different ways to explore an idea: through movement, materials, pictures or words. The morning also includes wake and shake, activities organised by staff, snack time and outdoor play, balancing opportunities to choose with shared parts of the day.

In January 2024, children joined a welcome song at circle time and learned a fresh song each week. Staff also read books and talked with children to develop attention and listening. Group activities gave children opportunities to participate alongside others; independent play let them make their own choices. Putting on outdoor clothes and fetching a tissue were practical parts of learning to manage everyday tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

A climbing frame and time in the allotment sit alongside outdoor exploration, sand and water play. That gives physical activity and growing experiences a place alongside the creative work indoors.

In January 2024, children used scooters and constructed obstacle courses, learning to judge space and negotiate objects in their path. Outings included parks, woodland, the castle and the allotment, where children grew food; visiting therapy horses brought another encounter with animals. These were experiences beyond the hall, connecting children’s learning with their surroundings. They belong to that inspection period, rather than a fixed current trip timetable.

Relationships and Communication

A key worker gives each child a familiar adult from the start. Settling can proceed at a pace agreed with the family, and a parent may remain for part of the first visit. A comforter is welcome where it helps a child feel secure, although other toys from home are generally discouraged. These are practical ways to make the move from home less abrupt.

Tapestry lets parents see photographs, videos and observations, contribute comments or photographs from home, and message staff. Families can also download their child’s learning journal. Regular newsletters arrive through the parent WhatsApp group, while Tapestry carries learning updates. The combination gives parents both everyday information and a record of development, with home contributions helping staff understand what a child is doing beyond pre-school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children progressed well from their starting points and that staff worked effectively with families and other professionals to provide additional support. Current arrangements include a SENDCo who works with families and outside agencies when needed, plus a practitioner trained as an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) to support emotional wellbeing.

In January 2024, Colour Monster linked colours with emotions to help children recognise feelings. Praise supported confidence, although explaining the reasons behind rules needed more attention. The current British Values approach includes listening to children’s choices, encouraging kindness and helping them understand boundaries.

Toilet training is not a prerequisite for starting; staff work with families to keep support consistent between home and pre-school. All staff have paediatric first-aid training, and accidents are documented with parents informed at collection or earlier when necessary. A designated safeguarding lead and deputy provide defined points of responsibility, alongside a confidential safeguarding email route.

Sessions and Attendance

The core morning session runs from 8.30am to 11.30am, Monday to Friday, during term time. Extended afternoon hours are a separate option beyond that morning pattern. Love Lane describes these extended hours as offered in conjunction with Shaw-cum-Donnington Primary School next door; attending pre-school does not guarantee a school place, and families still use the local authority admissions process.

Punctuality matters at both ends of the morning, or at the agreed extended collection time. Parents should notify staff promptly by telephone or email if a child will be absent or late. Term dates include holiday closures and staff training days, so the attendance pattern needs to fit the family’s wider care arrangements.

For enquiries, contact@lovelanepreschool.co.uk is the general email address. Admission forms are completed and returned after speaking with the setting.

Getting There

The address is Shaw-cum-Donnington Village Hall, Love Lane, Donnington, Newbury, RG14 2JG. Parking is shared with the neighbouring primary school and is tight in the morning; the alternative is the closest car park on Love Lane. The second car park on Bastion Street has camera enforcement, and families are instructed not to use it.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded and privately paid attendance are both offered. The universal entitlement provides 15 weekly hours for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday; qualifying working parents may receive 30 weekly hours, while eligible two-year-olds receiving specified additional support may receive 15. Funding is normally used over 38 term-time weeks, and the morning-plus-extension arrangement is relevant to families using the working-parent entitlement.

Funding administration needs attention each term. Parents must complete the declaration form and respond to requests for session requirements before the council deadline; late information can leave the setting unable to claim that term’s funding, with sessions then invoiced at the standard rate. New admissions carry a non-refundable, one-off registration charge. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the funding and fees page explains the charge structure.

Parents supply a healthy morning snack, while daily milk is free through the Nursery Milk Scheme. For allergies or dietary requirements, the setting agrees a plan with the family before the child starts, and parents must report changes.

Non-food supplies also come from home: nappies and wipes where needed. The nursery recommends applying sun cream before the session. Families pack spare clothes, outdoor clothing suited to the weather and a named water bottle; medication is labelled and handed directly to staff.

• Morning care or an extended afternoon. The core session ends at 11.30am, with extension through the neighbouring school arrangement. At a visit, discuss how the handover and extended collection would work for your child.
• Conversation and rules. In January 2024, questioning sometimes moved too quickly for children to answer, and staff did not consistently explain why routines mattered. Ask how children now get thinking time and explanations for boundaries.
• Funding deadlines. Session details are needed ahead of each term’s claim, and a missed deadline can mean paying directly for those sessions. Treat funding correspondence as part of planning attendance.
• Food and allergies. Snacks come from home, and dietary needs require an agreed plan. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice, including how their child’s snack and milk will be managed.

Love Lane suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, as well as those considering a morning with extended afternoon care through the neighbouring school arrangement. ECAT, Tapestry and parent-led governance give clear routes into children’s learning and pre-school life. The January 2024 Good judgement supports that picture, with specific improvements still worth discussing around questioning and explanations of rules. Its appeal rests on familiar adults, hands-on play and meaningful parent involvement, with funding deadlines and the shared parking requiring practical attention.