Old Court Community Pre-school

A parent-run charity with Teddy Tots for younger children and Busy Bears for the older group, Old Court Community Pre-school combines a community role with learning through play in central Royal Wootton Bassett. Families can take part in its running, rather than simply buying childcare. A volunteer parent committee manages the setting, while fundraising and grants help pay for equipment and improvements.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that the special educational needs coordinator supported families through prompt referrals and links with outside agencies. That is a dated judgement: it predates a change of manager in July 2023.

Children can start from age two, and the pre-school serves children under five. It has capacity for 40 children in total. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance give families several ways to organise their week.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and development: children's play builds language, physical skills and relationships alongside early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding of the world. Indoor and outdoor activities give those areas a practical form. The emphasis is on children doing and exploring, with learning through play.

Teddy Tots sessions are aimed at children aged two to three, with an emphasis on expressing themselves while spending time apart from their carers. Busy Bears sessions, for ages three to five, introduce more structure through songs, stories and outdoor play. These are different stages of the pre-school experience, so the younger group's shorter morning and the older group's broader attendance choices have different purposes.

In February 2023, play included a sand tray with dinosaurs, dough, containers of pasta and making heart shapes using art materials. Adults connected books with children's activities and brought early writing into car play by introducing clipboards. Those examples show how familiar interests became starting points for language, handling materials and making marks.

Outdoor and Community Life

Busy Bears children have access to an outdoor play area. In February 2023, the garden also provided opportunities to explore frosty ground and use bicycles; younger children practised waiting for a turn. Outdoor space was part of everyday learning, including learning how to share equipment.

Book borrowing extends reading beyond the sessions: children attending Old Court can take a book home. That gives families a simple way to carry stories into home life. The parent committee is another connection between home and pre-school, with parents and carers able to contribute to decisions about the setting and its equipment.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who learns about their interests, preferences and individual requirements. This practitioner is the family's main contact, while other staff can also discuss development and concerns. Parents can see and contribute to records of their child's achievements, making communication a two-way exchange rather than a progress update alone.

Regular parent evenings and open days provide additional opportunities to talk with staff. In February 2023, parents received updates through messages, conversations and online applications. At that time, parents of younger children could remain while their child became familiar with the setting, giving separation time to develop gradually.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The current staff structure includes a SENCo, a designated safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding leads. All staff receive first-aid training and regular safeguarding and child-protection updates. These are arrangements for care and support; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the February 2023 inspection.

In February 2023, visual schedules helped children understand the day's sequence, and adult-led activities explored emotions. Everyday independence also featured: younger children received help to persist with puzzles and putting on coats, while older children took responsibility for tidying and personal care. The practical value is preparation for managing ordinary tasks, as well as participating in play.

Families provide healthy snacks and, for children staying through lunch, a packed lunch with an ice pack; milk or water is provided. For Teddy Tots, parents also supply a drinking cup, spare clothes and nappies where needed.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday. Teddy Tots runs each weekday morning from 9am to 11.30am. Busy Bears offers mornings from 8.45am to 11.45am, morning with lunch from 8.45am to 12.45pm, afternoon with lunch from 11.45am to 3.45pm, afternoons from 12.45pm to 3.45pm, and all day from 8.45am to 3.45pm. Busy Bears sessions can be combined, subject to availability.

The waiting list uses allocation criteria. Families can submit a Teddy Tots registration form after their child's first birthday, or a Busy Bears form once their child is two; returning the form puts the child on the waiting list. Applications and visit arrangements use oldcourt@talktalk.net or 01793 849783.

Getting There

The address is Station Road, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 8QY. Access is via the Memorial Hall, with a car park off Tanners Close, or the path opposite the Civic Centre off Old Court; the latter route leads up to the garden.

Funding and Paid Extras

The pre-school offers 15-hour funding from the term after a child's third birthday and extended 30-hour funding for eligible families, subject to availability. Private sessions are also offered: invoices arrive by email at the beginning of each half term, with payment in advance by cash or BACS. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Parents supply food and nappies where needed, as described above. Milk or water is provided at snack time. School preparation includes liaison with local schools, supporting the move beyond pre-school through contact between settings.

• Daily transitions. In February 2023, some groups returned from handwashing or putting coats away with increased energy and insufficient direction. Ask how staff now help children move back into purposeful play after these routines.
• Committee responsibilities. In February 2023, suitability-check paperwork for committee members had not been submitted within the required timescale, with action due by 31 March 2023; those adults did not work with children or access personal documentation, and there was no impact on children. Ask how committee changes and the associated paperwork are managed now.
• Matching the attendance pattern. Teddy Tots has a shorter morning, while Busy Bears includes lunch-linked sessions and all-day attendance. At a visit, discuss which pattern fits your child's stage and how settling is organised within it.
• Food from home. Snacks, packed lunches and relevant nappies are family responsibilities. Consider the daily preparation involved, and discuss any dietary requirements when choosing sessions that include lunch.

Old Court suits families seeking either a short Teddy Tots morning or the morning, afternoon and all-day choices of Busy Bears, with play-based learning and an opportunity to take part in a parent-run charity. The outdoor play area, book borrowing and key-person relationship give that community model practical substance.

The February 2023 Good judgement is a useful starting point, alongside specific concerns about routine transitions and committee paperwork. Families who value involvement in the pre-school's running have a clear role here; those organising attendance around lunch also need to allow for food preparation at home.