Ramsbury Pre-School

Frog balance bikes, supervised work with real tools and a woodland classroom give Ramsbury Pre-School a practical, outdoorsy character. Children can move between its purpose-built village building and outdoor space, with a mud kitchen, green roof and rainwater garden adding everyday opportunities to investigate how things work. This is a setting for children who like doing, making and testing ideas.

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Outstanding, finding that children made substantial progress, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities progressed especially well, and safeguarding was effective. That is a dated judgement. The current offer combines hands-on learning with a SENCO role, individual settling plans and opportunities for parents to contribute through a voluntary management committee.

Based on Back Lane in Ramsbury, the pre-school accepts children from two years and six months, or from two through Better Together funding, with Mondays reserved for children starting school the following September. Attendance is term-time, with morning and afternoon sessions alongside separately paid wraparound care.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared early-years framework: play and activities develop language, social and emotional understanding, and physical skills. Ramsbury adds practical problems to solve. Children test string, tape, glue and staplers to join materials, alongside weaving, paint mixing and herb crushing. The emphasis is on discovering how things work.

Cooking involves peelers, child knives, whisks and supported experience at a stove. Frog balance bikes and child-sized helmets support practice in mounting, pushing, balancing and basic bike safety. Children learn through using equipment themselves.

In November 2021, children discussed how to investigate a watermelon with hammers, nails and elastic bands. Interest in a local moon installation also prompted a challenge to reach stars suspended in trees. Both activities involved working through a problem together.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children move freely between the village building and outdoor space. Small groups use the quiet room; snacks are prepared and eaten in the cafe. The mud kitchen supports imaginative play, the challenge zone physical exploration, and the green roof and rainwater garden environmental investigation.

Weekly woodland classroom sessions run year-round, requiring suitable clothing. Other supervised challenges include hammers, screwdrivers, climbing and balancing. Comfort with outdoor conditions and supported physical challenges matters here.

Community life includes litter picking and visits to a local older people's care setting, where children sing, share stories or spend time with residents. Ramsbury Street Fayre is an annual event in which the pre-school participates to raise charitable funds. These experiences give children ways to contribute to village life, as well as enjoy it.

Adventure Club is a separate activity club using the outdoor classroom for den building, animal identification, outdoor crafts and cooking over campfires. Arts and Crafts clubs run around Easter and Christmas, combining themed making with cooking. They extend the practical character of the setting beyond its core sessions, with separate activity-club charges.

Relationships and Communication

An individual transition plan, shared brochure and parent induction evening prepare families for starting. Parents meet their child's key worker and complete an All about me form on the first day; from day two, hours increase at the child's pace. September and January are the usual intakes, with out-of-cycle admissions considered.

Workshops cover behaviour, communication and language, and Reception preparation. Feedback sessions and management committee membership give parents opportunities to influence how the pre-school runs as well as support their child's learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCO works with parents and the setting's leadership on support for children with identified educational needs, including help within and beyond the pre-school. The role includes attention to speech and language, behaviour and emotional regulation. All staff have paediatric first aid training; the annual staff training programme also covers safeguarding, language development, food hygiene and behaviour management.

In November 2021, quieter children were supported through smaller groups and gentle encouragement. A calm space, breathing exercises and yoga helped children manage difficult feelings. Staff also used individual family photographs and information about children's interests to support their sense of belonging. These are dated examples of care in practice, rather than promises about an identical routine today.

The pre-school describes strong relationships with Ramsbury Primary School to support the move into Reception. Parent workshops address that transition too. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, with an extension to 1pm for packed lunch; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. A full-day pattern is also offered. The pre-school operates during term time, and Mondays are reserved for Rising 4 children, meaning those due to begin school the following September.

For children under three, the usual minimum is three sessions each week. Children claiming the Two Year Old Working Parent 15-hour funding must attend for their full 15 hours. Morning-only attendance is excluded: after a maximum of two mornings, families must add an afternoon or extend a day. Session reductions take effect at the beginning of a term. These rules make the weekly pattern as important as the individual session times.

Rise and Shine Club runs from 8am to 9am on weekdays, offering breakfast, puzzles, books, drawing and outdoor play. After School Club has a 3pm to 5.15pm pattern from Monday to Thursday on the wraparound care page, although another club page gives different hours and entry ages. That practical conflict needs resolving before families build a working week around the clubs.

The address is Back Lane, Ramsbury, Marlborough, SN8 2QH. Enquiries go through the office by telephone on 01672 520901 or email at bursar@ramsburypreschool.org.uk. The enrolment process uses a placeholder form and fee, with part of that fee returned after the first complete term; families unable to pay can approach the management committee confidentially.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted during the core 9am to 3pm day, on a term-time basis. The 15-hour entitlement for three-year-olds can increase to 30 hours where eligibility conditions are met. Extra hours beyond entitlement are paid privately, and funding cannot cover breakfast or after-school clubs. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation, with invoices issued monthly in arrears.

Families supply packed lunches; morning snacks carry a voluntary separate charge, with milk still offered if families decline that charge. Wraparound hot meals are separately charged and prepared on site, using fresh ingredients and some produce from the setting's vegetable garden.

There is no separate charge for nappies, wipes or sun cream, and parents may supply their own. For children receiving government funding, the additional-activities charge is voluntary: families who decline it retain the standard Early Years Foundation Stage provision but do not take part in the additional activities covered by that charge. That distinction matters when comparing the funded day with the full activity programme.

• Weekly booking commitments. The fee terms set a five-session minimum for children aged three and over, while the admissions FAQ applies it to Rising 4 children. Ask which rule will apply to your child's start date, alongside the restriction on morning-only bookings.
• Wraparound arrangements. Club pages differ on finishing times, Friday provision and the youngest eligible age. Confirm the specific hours and age conditions before committing to a work or collection schedule.
• Funded extras. The voluntary additional-activities charge affects participation in activities beyond the standard provision, while snacks and wraparound meals have their own charging arrangements. Obtain a written quotation showing the choices relevant to your child's pattern.
• A practical visit. Weekly woodland learning, real tools and a gradual settling plan are central features. During a visit, discuss outdoor clothing, supervision of tool use and how the transition plan would work for your child.

Ramsbury suits families seeking term-time morning and afternoon sessions, especially children who enjoy making, balance bikes and woodland exploration. Village connections, individual settling plans and SENCO support add substance to its offer, alongside the historical November 2021 Outstanding judgement.

Morning-only bookings are excluded. Minimum-session rules, differing wraparound terms and funded activity choices make the weekly timetable an important part of the decision.