Cross Hayes Pre School

Mud-kitchen play, garden wheelbarrows and imaginative monsters give Cross Hayes Pre School a recognisable character in its November 2022 account. Children practised cooperation alongside practical independence, from sharing play resources to serving food. The Malmesbury setting has 27 places in total.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good at its 22 November 2022 inspection. Children attending then were aged two to four; the account gives families a dated picture of learning and care.

In November 2022, the early years foundation stage provided the framework for children's learning, development and care: play brought together language, number work, physical activity and growing independence. Staff introduced unfamiliar words through conversation and questions, while songs prompted children to join in and later sing during their own play.

The mud kitchen encouraged turn-taking, and imitation monster fur prompted imaginative games. Older children explored numbers, simple arithmetic and shape puzzles. A sofa offered somewhere to share books with an adult; children also retold stories through play. During whole-group stories, however, some lost concentration and distracted others.

Outside, November 2022 activities included balancing along planks and manoeuvring wheelbarrows around garden obstacles. Fine paintbrushes and watercolours gave children practice with smaller movements. This combined active play with opportunities to concentrate on making something themselves.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children making good progress, including those with SEND, funded children and children learning English as an additional language; the special educational needs coordinator used individual plans and collaboration with families and professionals.

During that month, staff helped less confident children join play, supported friendships and talked through emotions. Everyday exchanges with parents supported continuity between home and pre-school, including toilet training. Children poured drinks, served food and cleared plates, while putting on outdoor clothing gave them another opportunity to practise independence before school.

Management observed staff practice and arranged further training. In November 2022, accident-recording forms had been revised and parental information strengthened. Children also learned small environmental habits, such as preparing wastepaper for recycling.

The address is 1 The Bungalows, Bremilham Road, Malmesbury, SN16 0DQ.

In November 2022, opening hours were 9.15am to 2.45pm on weekdays during school terms. The pre-school then received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. These arrangements belong to that period.

• Time spent waiting. In November 2022, some routines kept children waiting too long, reducing time for play and learning. Better organisation of those routines was the improvement priority.
• Attendance fit. The November 2022 pattern was weekday, term-time provision. What attendance arrangements now apply for your child's age and required days?

For families seeking a pre-school experience built around imaginative play, conversation and practical independence, the November 2022 account offers useful detail. Its term-time opening pattern then suited families needing care within that part of the day. The reservation is equally concrete: routine waiting sometimes interrupted children's learning.