Broadshires Pre-School

A garden children can use throughout the year, imaginative play and a parent-led charity give Broadshires Pre-School its character. Based at The Old School in Broadwell, it welcomes children aged two to four and has 18 places in total. Its appeal lies in the connection between indoor play, outdoor exploration and village life.

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement comes with two useful reservations: group activities needed better organisation, and parents needed more guidance on supporting learning at home. Both deserve attention alongside the strengths.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day choices. This is a setting for families whose childcare needs fit a school-term rhythm, with opportunities for parents to contribute through its committee and fundraising.

Learning and Activities

Play leads the day. The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the learning and care standards, with activities supporting children's development across seven areas of learning. Here, children choose between indoor and outdoor activities, while staff also arrange shared activities and smaller-group work. The practical balance matters: children have room to follow an interest, alongside planned opportunities to learn with others.

The daily pattern includes choosing activities, a snack children can take when ready, a shared activity before lunch and smaller-group or individual work later on. Helping put resources away and finishing with a song give the day a recognisable ending. These routines offer practice in making choices, taking responsibility and joining a group.

In January 2024, imaginative doctor play gave staff opportunities to introduce vocabulary about the body, including circulation and blood pressure. Expressive reading encouraged children to recognise rhyme and recall familiar words. These were concrete ways of extending language through experiences children were already enjoying, rather than treating vocabulary as a separate exercise.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is central to the current offer: children can move between inside and outside, with access across the seasons. That gives outdoor exploration a place in ordinary daily play, rather than reserving it for an occasional outing. Fundraising has also paid for a water play table, a light sensory table and a reading arch, adding resources for exploration and reading.

In January 2024, children used a large outdoor area during the day. Football sessions gave them practice controlling kicks and aiming towards a goal; chalk, sand and tweezers offered smaller hand movements alongside that physical play. The combination matters because running and ball play develop different skills from gripping, sorting and making marks.

Village connections extend those experiences. Storytime visits bring the local librarian into the setting to share books, while trips have included nearby farms and church activities tailored to children and their families. In January 2024, librarian visits were monthly and a spring farm visit introduced children to newborn lambs. These experiences link stories and conversation with people and places beyond the pre-school.

Relationships and Communication

A key worker and buddy arrangement gives children familiar adults within the setting. Parents receive feedback after sessions and can discuss concerns with staff. For a family starting preschool, that combination provides a regular point of contact as well as another adult who knows the child.

In January 2024, settling arrangements were adapted for children who needed a gentler start, including beginning after the busiest part of the morning. Staff drew on their knowledge of children's families and interests in everyday conversation. Settling was treated as an individual process, rather than expecting each child to respond to the same routine.

Communication is also an area to examine closely. In January 2024, conversations with families and a closed social-media page supported contact, but parents were not receiving enough suggestions for extending learning at home. Friendly feedback and practical learning guidance serve different purposes; families benefit from both.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO leads the approach to additional needs, with conversations involving families and links to other professional agencies when needed. At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood children's individual SEND needs, worked with families and outside professionals on regularly reviewed care plans, and used additional funding for individual support, training and resources.

Two designated safeguarding leads are in place, and staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates. Safeguarding scenarios are discussed during staff meetings and supervision. These are specific arrangements supporting day-to-day practice, separate from the dated judgement on their effectiveness.

Morning attendance includes a provided snack, with fruit, milk and water among the choices. Families supply a packed lunch for afternoon or full-day attendance, and adults eat alongside children, making lunch a shared social occasion.

Sessions and Attendance

Broadshires operates during term time, generally following nearby schools' calendars. From Monday to Thursday, the morning runs from 9am to noon, the afternoon from noon to 3pm, and the full day from 9am to 3pm. Friday offers the morning pattern only, from 9am to noon. A Friday afternoon therefore needs a different arrangement if a family requires care then.

Flexible sessions can be discussed with the setting. Bookings follow a first-come basis, with a waiting list used when sessions are full. This is a durable booking rule, rather than an indication of how many places are currently free.

Getting There

The address is The Old School, Broadwell, GL7 3QS, in the rural village near the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire border. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01367 860 729.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted for children aged two to four; attendance beyond a child's eligible funded hours is charged privately. Current prices come in a written quotation from the nursery, and the fees and sessions page explains the attendance arrangements.

Parents provide lunch for sessions covering the afternoon, including funded attendance under the same session rule; morning snacks are provided. A separate, voluntary contribution each full term supports sundries, including materials for baking, vegetable growing and seasonal activities. It is a contribution families can choose to make.

The charity relies on parent participation in its elected committee and on fundraising. Trustees handle matters including finances and management decisions, while staff manage daily provision. For parents who want a role beyond routine feedback, committee involvement offers a direct way to contribute.

• Group participation. In January 2024, some children lost interest during shared activities and quieter children were not consistently encouraged to join others. During a visit, ask how staff now organise these activities and include children who are less likely to put themselves forward.
• Learning at home. January 2024 brought an improvement point about giving families practical guidance. Ask for an example of how session feedback now translates into something useful to try at home.
• Friday and term-time coverage. Friday finishes at noon, and attendance follows term time. These boundaries matter for families needing care across a working week or through school holidays.
• Parent participation. The charity depends on committee involvement and fundraising, alongside a voluntary sundries contribution. Consider whether that participatory model fits the time and contribution your family wants to offer.

Broadshires suits families seeking morning attendance, afternoon sessions or a combination with full days during term time. Its garden, child-led play and village connections give it a clear identity, while the parent committee offers a meaningful role in the setting's life.

The January 2024 Good judgement supports that appeal, but the practical test is how shared activities include quieter children and how staff help families extend learning at home. The timetable also needs to fit: Friday is shorter, and the offer follows school terms.