Clanfield Pre-School

Hatching chicks, changing caterpillars and ice hiding animals gave Clanfield Pre-School's June 2025 activities a practical, exploratory character. Based at Clanfield Primary School, it has capacity for 24 children aged two to five.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with speech delays were making good progress. The strongest examples combined independence with conversation: children poured drinks, helped prepare snacks and learnt new words through play.

In June 2025, the early years foundation stage provided the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday routines into their education. Staff adapted activities around children's interests and their next learning steps.

A calming sensory house and a water tray containing ice offered different ways to explore. Children used tools to uncover animals in the ice; transferring coloured rice between containers introduced language about volume and capacity. Younger children practised following instructions, while older children discussed how butterflies develop.

Regular forest school sessions involved exploring the natural environment. Caring for newly hatched chicks and watching caterpillars become butterflies made living things part of the experience. Shared reading connected with these activities through The Very Hungry Caterpillar, giving children another way to discuss what they were observing.

There were limits to the teaching. In June 2025, some opportunities to deepen children's learning were missed, and extended whole-group activities made it harder for some younger children to stay attentive. Those are useful points to weigh alongside the appealing practical activities.

In June 2025, staff encouraged children to manage everyday tasks themselves and helped them practise sharing and kindness. These small responsibilities gave independence a concrete place in the day.

Communication with families helped staff match children's home routines and recognise achievements from both home and pre-school. Staff also worked with parents and other agencies to identify SEND and learning gaps early, and sourced training to develop their practice. Confidence and social skills were part of preparation for the move to school.

The address is Early Years Building, Clanfield Primary School, Main Street, OX18 2SP. Current opening hours are 8.45am to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the pre-school closes for school holidays.

In June 2025, morning sessions ran from 8.45am to 11.45am and afternoon sessions from 11.45am to 2.45pm, with an optional lunch club. At that time, the pre-school received funding for free early education for children aged two to four. These are dated attendance and funding arrangements.

Being based on the primary school site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process.

• Younger children's group time. Extended group sessions affected some younger children's attention in June 2025. On a visit, ask how group activities now accommodate different ages.
• Depth of teaching. Staff sometimes missed chances to extend learning in June 2025. Look for how adults build on children's questions during practical play.
• Term-time attendance. The pre-school closes during school holidays. Families needing care through those periods will need to plan around that calendar.

Clanfield suits families seeking term-time care, with morning and afternoon patterns documented in June 2025. Its inspection-era character is hands-on: natural change, sensory exploration and everyday independence. The Good judgement provides a useful assessment, while the concerns about group engagement and extending learning deserve attention when choosing it.