Dinton Pre-School

A Zen Garden, chickens and a polytunnel give Dinton Pre-School a character rooted in outdoor life. At Park Farm in Teffont, the setting combines converted farm buildings with fields, a pond and access to neighbouring National Trust parkland. There is plenty here for children who like growing, making and investigating.

Dinton accepts children aged 18 months to 5 years and has 41 places in total. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection on 14 June 2022.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and all-day bookings alongside early starts and later finishes on selected weekdays. The range matters. Families can choose a shorter session rather than building their week around a single all-day pattern.

Rooms and Ages

The classrooms occupy former farm buildings, with separate spaces supporting children at different stages.

Rabbit Class serves children from 18 months to 30/36 months, combining songs, stories and sensory play with a free-flow area, a mud kitchen, climbing logs and opportunities to collect eggs from the chickens. These are practical ways to explore movement, materials and growing independence.

Hedgehog class covers the overlapping age band of 2.5/3 to 5 years, using real tools, open-ended materials and creative activities alongside regular outdoor sessions and daily yoga. The overlap between the classes makes the timing of a move a useful discussion for families.

Owl Class hosts children from Hedgehog class for small key-group activities each day, developing conversation, attention, social skills and early reading skills through interactive adult-led work. Rhymes and awareness of sounds sit alongside listening and speaking. This is preparation for participating in primary-school learning, rather than an admissions link with a particular school.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes the day through play, conversation, physical development and early experiences of books, numbers and creativity. Dinton uses Development Matters to guide activities, with an emphasis on the skills children need before formal reading and writing: mark making, fine and gross motor development, interest in print and confidence in conversation.

Adults take part in both planned activities and play started by children. They model language, explain, pose questions and help children test ideas. The practical value is in the interaction: an activity can become an opportunity to talk, reason or try a different solution, rather than simply something to complete.

In June 2022, children invented stories for staff to write down and share with the group. Storytelling also involved props and acting, while children borrowed books from a library bus. These examples connected speaking, imagination and books in ways children could participate in themselves.

Mathematics was similarly practical in June 2022. Children weighed fruit, used calculators in pretend veterinary play and followed a play-dough recipe. Younger children explored water, ice and sand; older children dug with tools and made boats from reused materials. Numbers and hand control were part of meaningful activity rather than separate exercises.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds outdoor tasks and exploration to the wider play-based day. Sessions take place in all weathers, so waterproof clothing and wellies are needed throughout the year. Fields and a pond support den building, pond dipping and learning about nature.

The Zen Garden, vegetable patch and polytunnel give the outdoor space different purposes, while cooking, gardening and pet care bring practical tasks into the curriculum. Adjacent National Trust parkland is also used when cattle are absent. That condition matters: access is part of the offer, but it is not an unrestricted daily promise.

In June 2022, children visited the on-site forest school weekly, cared for chickens and collected eggs. They also made obstacle courses and considered how to manage risks. These dated examples show how outdoor activity connected physical movement with responsibility for living things.

Relationships are organised around key children and their families, and the staff team has paediatric first-aid training.

Special educational needs support has an identifiable structure: the manager holds the SENCo role, and the deputy manager has a SEN Support role. Both roles are backed by special educational needs training. This gives parents clear starting points for discussing support and how it will fit into their child's daily activities.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to raise concerns and managers using recruitment checks, team discussion and training to support their responsibilities. The current arrangements include designated safeguarding lead roles and procedures for working with other agencies.

In June 2022, themed packs containing toys, books and other resources helped families continue learning at home. Children also voted for the day's story, giving them a practical experience of making a choice together and accepting a shared decision. These small routines linked communication with participation.

Staff development had a clear structure in June 2022: meetings, supervision and appraisals sat alongside training selected around children's needs and staff interests.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and all-day bookings run from 9am to 2.45pm. Afternoon times depend on the class: Rabbit Room bookings run from 12.45pm to 2.45pm, while Hedgehog / Owl Rooms run from noon to 2.45pm. Lunch attendance is also separately itemised from noon to 1pm.

Early starts are offered from 8.15am Monday to Friday. Later finishes extend to 4.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; Monday and Friday opening ends at 3pm. Remaining funded hours can cover the early or later attendance, or an additional charge applies. These extensions may make a shorter core session workable for a family's schedule.

Bills arrive at the start of each term. Absence does not reduce the bill, and sessions cancelled during the term remain payable. Notice is due at least six weeks before the next term begins; cancellation after that point leaves the place payable. The financial commitment therefore needs to be considered alongside the chosen weekly pattern.

Getting There

The address is Park Farm, Hindon Rd, Teffont Magna, Salisbury SP3 5RR. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01722 716011, by email at enquiries@dinton-pre-school.co.uk or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered within the term-time setting. The entitlements include up to 15 hours a week from the term after a child's third birthday, up to 30 hours for eligible working families and two-year-old funding subject to the relevant family criteria. Acceptance begins at 18 months, even though the working-family funding information also covers younger children.

Additional private hours are charged beyond funded attendance. The bill includes a termly snack donation, with no other consumable charges. Early and later attendance can use remaining funded hours or be paid for separately, so the funding allocation and attendance pattern need to be considered together.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The classes and fees page sets out the session choices, funding arrangements and payment terms.

• Outdoor clothing. Forest School continues in all weathers, with waterproofs and wellies needed year-round. Families should plan for outdoor clothing as a regular part of attendance.
• Different afternoon starts. Rabbit Room afternoons begin at 12.45pm, while Hedgehog / Owl Rooms begin at noon. During a visit, discuss how a class move would affect your child's timetable and how settling is handled.
• Termly commitment. Cancelled sessions and absences remain payable, with notice required six weeks before the next term. Choose the weekly pattern with those terms in mind.
• Food alongside the session. The termly bill includes a snack donation, and lunch attendance has its own booking line. Ask what children bring for lunch and how any dietary needs will be managed.

Dinton suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoons or an all-day term-time pattern, especially where children enjoy practical outdoor activity. The pond, chickens, growing spaces and all-weather Forest School give that preference tangible substance.

The progression from Rabbit Class through Hedgehog class activities to Owl Class group work is equally relevant for families thinking ahead to primary school. The June 2022 Outstanding judgement adds weight, while the decision today rests on the fit between the child's stage, the outdoor emphasis and the family's timetable. Pay particular attention to the different afternoon starts and the termly payment commitment.