Little Wonders Preschool

An outdoor classroom called the Hive gives Little Wonders Preschool a recognisable centrepiece: children can take their learning outside through the seasons, with Nature Explorers bringing plants, insects, shelter-building and natural art into the day. This charity-run preschool on Chalkstone Way in Haverhill welcomes children aged 2–5 and has 28 places in total. Its character combines play, language and practical exploration.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding, found that children made exceptional progress and judged safeguarding effective. That is a strong assessment, but it belongs to that visit. The current offer adds clear practical detail: daily Forest School sessions, regular cooking and community trips, alongside a curriculum that gives communication and physical development considerable attention.

Morning and afternoon sessions run during term time, with an additional paid extension at the end of the afternoon. For parents, the central choice is between shorter sessions and combining the two, rather than assuming that every child must attend for the whole opening day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, including language, movement, relationships, early mathematics and creativity. Development Matters is the guidance practitioners use to recognise what a child can already do and plan the next step.

Communication, personal and social development, and physical development receive particular emphasis. Children pursue their own interests, while adults introduce vocabulary, model language and extend an idea at a useful moment. Stories, songs and practical activities give these interactions a setting.

In November 2022, children used books to develop ideas in their play, experimented with mixing paint and counted as they played. Staff used questions that invited more than a brief answer.

Music also ran through the day in November 2022. Children sang, moved to music and responded to instructions. In one activity, a practitioner used rice and glitter with a watering can and xylophone to explore sound. It was a concrete example of adult-led exploration alongside children's own play, with an ordinary object becoming a starting point for curiosity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Nature Explorers is the preschool's Forest School provision, using outdoor play and practical investigation in all seasons. Children can examine insects and plants, make shelters and create art from natural materials. The Hive, an outdoor classroom, supports participation across the year. This gives outdoor learning a physical base, while the clothing guidance makes clear that children should expect mud, wet weather and changes in temperature.

Environmental learning includes caring for wildlife and plants, reusing materials and reducing waste. These are practical subjects for young children: looking after something living or finding another use for a material gives an abstract idea a visible action. Forest School sessions take place daily and sit within the optional additional-activities arrangement, alongside regular cooking, community trips and animal experiences.

In November 2022, outings connected what children did beyond the preschool with their play afterwards. They bought cooking ingredients at shops, baked scones and took them to a local care home, where they sang and talked with residents. Visits to a pet shop prompted conversations about different fish and the fish tank back at preschool.

Relationships and Communication

Parents can stay and play with their child, and parent evenings take place during the year to discuss development. These offer different kinds of contact: shared play helps parents understand the child's experience, while a planned conversation creates time to discuss progress and support at home. Parents are also welcome to visit under the preschool's open-door policy.

In November 2022, children had close relationships with their key persons, and families received updates through different forms of communication. Children were helped to express feelings and make choices, with established routines giving them opportunities to practise skills. The combination matters because familiarity with an adult and familiarity with the day address different parts of settling into preschool life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with staff training and adjustments helping children participate. Current arrangements include trained SENCO officers, Individual Educational Plans and involvement from outside agencies where needed. These are specific mechanisms for identifying needs and planning support with families, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

The behaviour policy emphasises expressing feelings appropriately, respecting other people and developing independence. Equipment, books and toys are selected to represent different cultures and disabilities, and children discuss religious and cultural festivals. This gives inclusion an everyday expression in the materials children use as well as in individual support plans.

Health arrangements include contacting a parent or nominated person when a child becomes unwell and caring for them until collection. Following sickness or diarrhoea, children must remain away for 48 hours after the last episode. Families need childcare cover throughout that exclusion period.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at Chalkstone Way, Haverhill, CB9 0BW. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, for 38 weeks each year.

The morning session runs from 8.45am to 11.45am; the afternoon runs from 11.45am to 2.45pm. Additional childcare from 2.45pm to 3.15pm is charged separately. Families can use funded or privately paid sessions, and the end-of-day extension needs to be treated separately from the funded session hours.

A waiting list operates, with allocation governed by the admissions policy held in the preschool office. Uniform is optional. Ordinary clothes are accepted, and practical clothing matters for messy activities and outdoor learning.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children aged two, three and four can use 15 or 30 funded hours. Funding is delivered during term time, with a maximum of six funded hours per day. The fees and funding page sets out the session and charge structure; current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Additional activities are optional for all children, including those using funded hours, and the charge is itemised on monthly invoices. Parents can opt out through the preschool office. Cooking, daily Forest School, community trips and animal experiences fall within this arrangement, so families should distinguish the core session from the activities charge when considering the overall offer.

Morning and afternoon snacks, milk and water are included without an extra charge, including during funded sessions; parents provide a packed lunch for children attending all day. Dietary requirements relating to health, culture or religion are accommodated within the healthy-eating policy.

Sun cream is included without an extra charge, and spare wipes and nappies are free when available; parents should nevertheless send wipes, nappies if needed and a change of clothes. This is a mixed arrangement for consumables, with some items included and others brought from home, rather than a single all-inclusive package.

• Term-time calendar. Attendance covers 38 weeks, and the autumn 2026 half-term is scheduled for 26 October to 6 November, with term dates subject to change. Families needing care throughout the year should build the closure dates into their plans.
• Activities and clothing. Nature Explorers involves outdoor learning across the seasons, and Forest School sits within the optional activities charge. At a visit, discuss how opting out works within the day and what clothing your child will need.
• Individual support. SENCO officers, Individual Educational Plans and outside-agency involvement form the support arrangements. If your child has additional needs, use a visit to discuss how these would translate into their own daily experience.
• Illness cover. The 48-hour exclusion after sickness or diarrhoea can extend time away beyond the illness itself. Plan who can care for your child during that period.

Little Wonders suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon sessions or a combination of both during term time. Nature Explorers and the Hive give outdoor learning a clear identity, while cooking and community experiences add practical subject matter to play and conversation.

The Outstanding judgement from November 2022 provides a strong dated assessment. Today's decision also rests on the practical fit: a term-time calendar, parent-provided lunches for all-day attendance and optional activity charges. For families comfortable with those arrangements, this is a preschool with a clearly described day and concrete ways for parents to participate.