Castle Fields Pre-School

A newt pond, a nearby play park and the open setting of Castle Playing Fields give Castle Fields Pre-School its rural character within Haverhill. Footpaths connect the surrounding housing estates and local primary schools with the area. The practical appeal is a preschool day close to outdoor spaces, rather than a setting defined mainly by its indoor activities.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good on 16 September 2021 and found safeguarding effective. That judgement is dated; the concrete picture beneath it includes outdoor exploration, learning through children's interests and opportunities to practise independence.

There are 32 places in total. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings run during term time, with both funded and privately paid sessions offered. Families can choose a shorter session or a day spanning both parts of the timetable.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning and everyday care into the same framework. Here, the September 2021 account shows how play could carry that learning: a pretend rescue involving toy people became an opportunity to count and explore adding or taking away one. Mathematics had a purpose within the game.

In September 2021, children chose activities for themselves, with staff extending ideas that had caught their interest. Accessible toys and resources supported that choice. Books were also within reach outdoors as well as inside, and shared reading introduced vocabulary through conversations about the illustrations. Learning was not confined to a single space or a formal teaching activity.

Current activities supported by the voluntary contribution include cooking, dance lessons, cultural celebrations and graduation celebrations. These sit alongside walks around the surrounding area and support for the setting's pets. The contribution supports both snacks and experiences, so its role extends beyond buying materials.

Outdoor and Community Life

The newt pond and play park are nearby physical features of this setting's surroundings. Their proximity helps explain the rural feel, while the footpath connections make that setting part of the local neighbourhood.

In September 2021, children explored a neighbouring field with magnifying glasses, looking closely at insects and comparing slugs with snails. They also gathered blackberries to bring back. These were practical encounters with living things, giving children something concrete to investigate and discuss.

Climbing and sliding equipment featured in the same September 2021 account. Younger children practised judging what they could manage, with staff giving limited help. Outdoor activity therefore involved both movement and decisions about personal safety, rather than simply time away from the play room.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2021, staff helped children work through disagreements over toys by talking about emotions and ways to handle them. Putting on coats and changing clothes also gave children opportunities to do everyday tasks for themselves. These small routines made independence part of the day.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted identified two areas requiring further work: staff needed more knowledge to engage children with SEND consistently, and key persons needed to share learning information more effectively with parents. Both findings matter to families: additional support needs to translate into participation in activities, while useful exchanges with a key person help parents understand and continue learning at home.

In September 2021, the manager was considering an online platform for sharing observations and photographs and receiving parents' comments.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The current team includes three SENDCos, giving families specific roles through which to discuss special educational needs and disabilities. That structure is useful context alongside the dated improvement point; it does not by itself establish how an individual child's support will work.

Staff interests include speech and language, stories, messy play and outdoor activity. These bring different starting points for engaging children, from conversation around a book to investigating something outside. The team also includes practitioners with teaching backgrounds.

Sessions and Attendance

Castle Fields Pre-School is at Castle Playing Fields, School Lane, Haverhill, CB9 9DE. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm on weekdays during term time.

The morning booking runs from 9am to midday; afternoons run from midday to 3pm. A full-day booking covers 9am to 3pm. These are separate attendance choices, so a family seeking a morning preschool routine has a different option from one needing care across the whole preschool day.

Applications use a form to complete and return. The contact form accepts an application attachment, and enquiries can also be made by telephone or email. Uniform is optional, allowing families to choose whether their child wears preschool clothing.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions are offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds alongside privately paid sessions. Attendance is term-time only. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the sessions and prices page explains the booking choices and contribution structure.

Children bring a packed lunch from home, while healthy snacks are supported by a voluntary contribution each term. The same contribution supports activities including cooking and dancing; if contributions do not cover the planned activities, those activities are reduced to fit the budget.

• Term-time timetable. Both shorter sessions and full days finish within the 9am to 3pm opening window. Families needing care through school holidays or later afternoons should weigh that timetable against their working arrangements.
• SEND and communication. The September 2021 improvement points concerned participation for children with SEND and exchanges with key persons. During a visit, ask how the three SENDCos work with a child's key person and how learning updates reach parents today.
• Contribution-supported activities. The termly contribution is voluntary, and the activity programme can be reduced if funding falls short. Families should distinguish their booked childcare from the experiences supported by those contributions.

Castle Fields suits families wanting morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those choosing a full preschool day during term time. Its nearby outdoor spaces and the September 2021 examples of exploratory play give it a recognisable character. The dated Good judgement is useful context, while the SEND and communication improvement points make individual support and parent contact important subjects for a visit.