RUB-A-DUB PRE-SCHOOL

Woodland mornings on the Bowood Estate and school preparation through Rising Stars give RUB-A-DUB PRE-SCHOOL a clear identity: village-based early years care with practical independence woven into the week. Its base is The Lansdowne Village Hall in Derry Hill, where a self-contained room and access to the hall garden support indoor play and outdoor activity. The setting has 72 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a measure of the group a child will join.

At the July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. Improvements concerned including quieter children in conversation and explaining behaviour's effects on others.

Pre-school care begins at age 2 and continues until children start primary school; the After School Club serves children attending Derry Hill Primary School from Reception through year 6. Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and daytime core sessions, plus opportunities to extend the day. Friday afternoons have a separate school-preparation purpose.

Rooms and Ages

The New Meeting Room provides a self-contained base with its own secure access, while the hall garden adds play equipment and the pre-school's outdoor toys.

Children can begin pre-school at 2; specialist woodland and school-preparation sessions shape the week for older children.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care: play, conversation and practical tasks help children build communication, physical skills and independence. Forest Rangers adds a specific outdoor opportunity alongside that framework, using hands-on experiences in a natural setting rather than keeping every activity at the hall.

In July 2025, staff helped children extend their den-building ideas by considering height and width. Recycled materials became model cars, with scissors and tape bringing making and physical coordination together. Pretend ice-cream sales gave older children a reason to cooperate and invent roles. These examples connect learning to something a child wants to do, rather than separating skills from play.

Dance sessions delivered by visiting providers also formed part of the July 2025 experience. Staff introduced vocabulary through conversation and used questions that invited children to think before answering. The limitation was participation: quieter children did not consistently get enough opportunities to contribute, especially in group discussions. A lively conversation is only useful if quieter voices have a way into it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest Rangers runs on Wednesday mornings, from 9am to noon, for children aged 3 and over. Access to part of the Bowood Estate gives the session an identifiable setting, and it runs each week in all weather. Children joining should be out of nappies and using a toilet or potty, or working towards this with support. Care continues at the hall for children who do not join the forest session.

In July 2025, outdoor learning included observing caterpillars becoming butterflies and time in a local forest through weekly Forest School sessions. These experiences linked outdoor activity with understanding living things.

Community connections extend to Christ Church Derry Hill, where short services take place during the year and the Nativity Play is often held. This brings church involvement into the pre-school experience. Families weighing the setting's character should consider that alongside its outdoor provision and village-hall base.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who helps with settling, develops a relationship with the family and adapts care and learning to the child's needs. Regular parent meetings cover development and achievements, with support for learning at home. This gives families a consistent contact.

In July 2025, children sought comfort from staff and adults joined their games. Dad's Den Day brought parents into the setting for a shared event. Shared play and family involvement supported these relationships.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO Lead role supports the setting's provision for children with additional needs. The role holder has experience of developmental delays and learning difficulties and has completed an early years special educational needs coordination award. There are also Forest School and Maths Lead responsibilities within the team, giving those areas identifiable staff roles rather than leaving them as programme names alone.

Behaviour support deserves attention. In July 2025, adults did not consistently explain the impact on others when children found sharing or taking turns difficult. The improvement sought was about helping children understand a social situation, beyond simply stopping a disagreement. This is relevant for families whose child needs support with group play.

Pre-school lunch comes from home and is outside the childcare fee; the After School Club includes a snack in its initial charged period. That distinction matters when planning food across different kinds of attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Lansdowne Village Hall, Petty Lane, Derry Hill, Calne, SN11 9QY. The setting opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm during term time. General pre-school attendance runs Monday to Thursday and Friday morning; Friday afternoon is reserved for children preparing to begin primary school the following September.

Core choices are a morning from 9am to noon, an afternoon from noon to 3pm, or a daytime session from 9am to 3pm. A morning ending at 1pm to include lunch may be arranged with the manager. Afternoon collection options extend to 4pm, 5pm or 5.30pm, and early-bird attendance starts at 8.30am with a separate charge. These choices give families more than a single fixed day, but the specialist Friday arrangement needs to fit the child's stage.

Rising Stars occupies Friday afternoons from noon to 3pm. Its preparation includes managing coats, changing independently for PE and using the toilet, making the transition work practical and recognisable. In July 2025, the sessions also included visits to the schools children would attend.

The pre-school describes close links with Derry Hill C of E Primary School and work with other local primary schools. Attending does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process. Rising Stars supports preparation for the next setting, rather than conferring an admissions advantage.

For Derry Hill Primary School children, After School Club collection is at 3.15pm, with staff escorting children across the school field to the hall. Collection choices are 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm and 5.30pm. The club follows the pre-school calendar, which can differ from the primary school's, and does not take primary-aged children on the school's early-finish days before the main holidays.

Getting There

The hall has a large car park and neighbours the primary school. Enquiries can be made by email or telephone through the contact details, and prospective parents can arrange an appointment to see the pre-school.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted, including the early years entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds, 30 hours childcare and working-parent funding for eligible 2-year-olds. Attendance is term-time, and additional private hours can be purchased. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the charge structure.

Choosing Forest Rangers brings an additional weekly charge even if the child misses the forest visit, except where the setting receives EYPP for the child or the child previously attended as a funded 2-year-old. There is also a voluntary donation per session, requested from funded and privately paying families alike; children receive the same experience whether their family contributes or not.

• Quieter voices and sharing. The July 2025 improvement points concerned participation in conversation and understanding behaviour's effect on others. During a visit, ask how staff now include quieter children and explain disagreements over toys.
• A week with specialist days. Forest Rangers is on Wednesday mornings, while Friday afternoons are for children starting school the following September. Match the chosen pattern to the child's stage and the family's term-time arrangements.
• Woodland readiness. Forest Rangers starts at age 3 and carries a toileting expectation, with supported progress accepted. Discuss how that works for your child before choosing the session.
• Food and daily supplies. Packed lunch is a family responsibility for pre-school attendance. Ask which non-food supplies you should send with your child when discussing the daily routine.

RUB-A-DUB PRE-SCHOOL suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon attendance as well as a longer daytime pattern, with a separate after-school option for Derry Hill Primary School children. Forest Rangers on the Bowood Estate and the practical preparation in Rising Stars give the week clear purposes. The July 2025 Good judgement provides the inspection position; its conversation and behaviour improvement points keep the choice balanced. The strongest fit is for families who value woodland activity, village connections and preparation for greater independence.