RISE Pre-School, The Oaks

Storytelling with puddles, pretend snow and a grass tray gives a clear picture of RISE Pre-School, The Oaks at its February 2023 inspection: learning involved movement, conversation and hands-on exploration. The Chippenham setting has capacity for 24 children in total and operates within The RISE Trust Community Hub at The Oaks. Its identity is preschool provision within a wider family-service setting.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good on 10 February 2023. Children attending then were aged two to four, and the strongest examples concerned language, independence and learning to share. Two teaching priorities also mattered: making group activities manageable for younger children and bringing more number work into play. These are useful points against which families can assess the preschool's present practice.

Attendance is term-time only, making the school-holiday calendar an important part of the family decision.

In February 2023, We're Going on a Bear Hunt became an activity in the garden, with children acting out the story through different textures. Puddles, a tray of grass and pretend snow gave them things to touch and explore as they retold it. This connected a familiar book with physical experience rather than leaving storytelling solely as a listening activity.

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for learning, development and care: for children, this means play and everyday experiences support learning alongside their practical and personal development. In February 2023, staff planned successive learning steps around what children could already do. Stories led into related activities, props supported discussion, and different materials gave children opportunities to experiment with making marks.

Conversation accompanied play that February. Staff used questions to encourage children to explain their activities and introduced vocabulary to extend those exchanges. Construction toys provided opportunities to tackle problems through building towers. However, number learning needed more attention: staff were not making enough use of numbers to extend children's mathematical understanding.

Group activities were another point to weigh. In February 2023, both smaller and whole-group gatherings were used to address gaps in learning, but some became too complicated and lengthy for younger children. Their attention faded and they grew impatient. For a child still learning to participate in shared activities, the length and organisation of these gatherings matters as much as the activity itself.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, with emerging needs identified early, outside advice sought when necessary and parents involved. That dated assessment gives families concrete mechanisms to consider, rather than a broad promise about inclusion.

A key-person arrangement supported everyday independence in February 2023. Older children practised putting on their coats and wellington boots, while staff helped children learn handwashing and nose-wiping routines. These small tasks were part of preparation for school: children were learning to manage things they would increasingly need to do for themselves.

Picture cues and sand timers helped explain expectations that February. Staff demonstrated the behaviour they wanted children to copy, and children practised sharing equipment, including magnifying glasses used with a mud tray. The practical emphasis was on making turns and expectations understandable. Staff also observed children to identify their next learning steps and used planning to address gaps in experience.

The address is The RISE Trust, The Oaks, Chippenham, SN15 1DU. The preschool operates during term time. In February 2023, its opening hours were Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 2.45pm; these describe the opening window at that date.

For enquiries, telephone 01249 463040 or email contactus@therisetrust.org. In February 2023, the setting received early education funding for children aged two, three and four.

The Community Hub also has a separately bookable sensory room, equipped with a large bubble tube, light tubes, sensory toys and padded mats. This is a hub facility with its own booking arrangement, so it should be considered separately from the preschool day.

• Younger children's group activities. In February 2023, some shared activities exceeded younger children's attention spans. On a visit, ask how group lengths and participation now accommodate children at different stages.
• Numbers through play. Extending mathematical understanding was a February 2023 improvement priority. Look for how counting and number language are now incorporated into construction and other everyday activities.
• Term-time family planning. Attendance follows a term-time calendar. Families whose work continues through school holidays need to weigh that calendar carefully before choosing this preschool.

RISE Pre-School, The Oaks suits families who want term-time preschool in Chippenham and want to assess the February 2023 strengths in storytelling and independence alongside the teaching priorities for number learning and younger children's participation in group activities. Its February 2023 examples give substance to the Good judgement: stories became physical exploration, everyday care included practising independence, and additional needs prompted work with parents and outside support.

The balance lies in the teaching detail. Language and self-help were strengths of that dated account, while number learning and the organisation of group activities needed further attention. For families choosing it now, those specific priorities provide a useful basis for judging whether the day fits their child's stage of development.