Little Jesters Pre-School

Child-height fittings, a canopied outdoor area and links with the adjoining primary school give Little Jesters Pre-School its character: independence grows through ordinary play and contact with school life. Based at Faldingworth Community Primary School, it welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has capacity for 20 children. A voluntary committee brings together parents, staff and local residents, giving families a place in how the preschool is run.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, while asking staff to adapt whole-group activities more closely to individual children. That gives parents both a positive dated assessment and a specific teaching issue to weigh. Attendance follows the school term, with morning and afternoon sessions rather than a year-round childcare offer.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play across its areas of learning, with activities adapted to children's interests and development. Here, that sits alongside imaginative play, creative exploration and opportunities to practise being with other children. A computer and interactive whiteboard are among the indoor resources; labels on materials support early literacy and help children find things independently.

In April 2023, sensory exploration included mixing flour with water, while an interest in painting led to experiments with coloured water and pouring jugs. These were connected experiences: staff extended something children already enjoyed rather than introducing an unrelated task. Story sessions involved children joining familiar repeated lines, giving them an active part in the reading.

Problem-solving was practical, too. In April 2023, children helped construct an obstacle course and worked out how to level its walkways. Turn-taking with popular wheeled toys used a sand timer, making the wait visible. Staff also paired speech with signing and expanded children's vocabulary during conversations. These examples show what the learning looked like at that time, from negotiating shared equipment to testing ideas together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed play space has a substantial canopy and allows children to move between indoor and outdoor play during the day. That makes outdoor activity part of the setting's layout rather than a separate destination. Inside, low toilets and washbasins, accessible sinks and coat pegs at children's height make everyday self-care easier to practise.

School events offer another connection beyond the preschool room. Children occasionally take part in the Christmas play, Sports Day and Harvest Festival with the adjoining school. The frequency matters: these are occasional shared experiences, giving children contact with a wider school community alongside their preschool routines.

In April 2023, outdoor challenges included rolling and spinning a hoop, with adults joining play to introduce a new skill. Physical activity and adult interaction worked together in that example. It complements the current outdoor layout, although the activity itself belongs to the inspection period.

Relationships and Communication

Regular feedback and stay-and-play days give parents ways to participate in their child's learning. Committee membership offers a further route into the life of the setting, beyond receiving updates. For families wanting an active relationship with their preschool, these are concrete forms of involvement.

The SEND policy provides for discussions with a key person or SENCO, and parents receive their child's play plan with targets and suggested activities. Strategies can also be used at home if parents choose. That gives communication a practical purpose: adults can work on the same priorities across home and preschool.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role coordinates support, with individual support plans considered when developmental concerns arise and reviewed regularly. Parents are involved in deciding the response, and external professionals can contribute strategies to the child's plan. Transition planning also includes an action plan with the next setting or school, keeping attention on the child's particular needs.

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified additional needs promptly, used targeted plans and supported children with SEND in preparing for their next stage. This dated finding adds substance to the current policy mechanisms. It is a judgement about practice at that visit, rather than a guarantee of any individual child's experience.

The team structure includes a designated safeguarding lead. That identifies responsibility within the setting; the effectiveness judgement belongs to the dated assessment above.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Faldingworth Community Primary School, Lincoln Road, Faldingworth, Market Rasen, LN8 3SF. Little Jesters operates for 38 weeks, following the primary school's term calendar. Opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm from Monday to Thursday and 9am to 1pm on Friday.

Morning sessions run from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday; afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Thursday. These give families different attendance patterns within the term-time timetable. The application process uses a waiting list, with contact about a child's start made six weeks beforehand. Enquiries go through the contact form or telephone, and visits can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes universal hours for children from the term after their third birthday, eligible two-year-old funding and working-parent entitlements. The funding arrangements provide 15 or 30 hours according to eligibility, delivered over the 38-week term-time year. Working-parent codes must be kept renewed; hours beyond a child's entitlement and non-funded attendance are paid privately.

Families provide a packed lunch, snacks carry a separate charge with a parent-supplied alternative, and a hot lunch can instead be purchased directly from the school catering supplier; these food arrangements also apply to funded attendance, for which purchasing extras is not a condition of access. Parents supply nappies, wipes, nappy bags and sun cream, and the preschool's food policy prohibits nuts and nut-containing foods.

Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the sessions and fees page explains the charging structure. Ending a place or changing its days or times requires a month's written notice, including for funded children. Fees continue during a child's sickness or holiday absence, so the financial commitment follows the booked place.

The nursery describes close links with its adjoining school. In April 2023, children ate in the school hall twice weekly and visited its healthy tuck shop once weekly, providing familiarity with school routines. Attending Little Jesters does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Friday funded attendance. Morning sessions begin at 9am, but the funded-session terms give a Friday start of 9.30am. Confirm which start applies to your child's booking before arranging the weekly routine.
• Group activities. The April 2023 improvement point concerned adapting shared teaching to individual needs. During a visit, ask how staff now involve children who find whole-group activities difficult.
• Food and allergies. Packed lunches and parent-supplied alternatives sit alongside separately charged snacks and school catering. Allergy-affected families should confirm current handling arrangements, including how the policy prohibiting nuts is put into practice.
• Settling into term-time care. The 38-week calendar follows the adjoining school. Ask how introductory visits and settling are organised for your child, and plan childcare around the school holidays.

Little Jesters suits families seeking term-time preschool with either morning attendance or afternoon sessions, and parents who value involvement through feedback, stay-and-play and committee life. The child-height facilities and covered outdoor space give independence and play a concrete setting; occasional school events broaden that experience.

The April 2023 Good judgement is balanced by a clear improvement point about whole-group teaching. The strongest decision rests on that dated assessment alongside the current environment, support arrangements and attendance model. This is a preschool tied closely to the rhythm of its host school, with separate food arrangements and a written notice commitment to factor into family plans.