YMCA Kingfisher Pre-School

A separate building, direct access to outdoor play and use of the neighbouring school grounds give YMCA Kingfisher Pre-School a clear identity: a small Westbury preschool with space beyond its own room. Based at Bitham Brook School, it has 18 places in total and accepts children aged two to five.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective, with positive findings about teaching, children's relationships with staff and their developing independence. The strongest educational themes were language and learning to get along with others. Those findings give parents a useful picture of practice at that time.

Flexible sessions and full days are offered during term time. The practical attraction is the combination of a small setting and access to the adjacent school's larger spaces.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences support learning alongside growing independence. At Kingfisher, the clearest examples of how that worked come from December 2022, when activities drew on children's interests and the next things they needed to learn.

Language was woven into both organised games and outdoor exploration. In December 2022, children practised recognising starting sounds in small groups, while staff introduced vocabulary as children investigated grass in frosty weather. Conversation had a practical purpose. Children could connect a new word with something they were experiencing, rather than encounter it only in an adult-led exercise.

Mathematics also allowed for different stages of development. In December 2022, staff extended an activity so children could pair quantities with numerals up to 20. Cutting, scooping and mixing offered another kind of preparation for writing, giving children opportunities to practise controlled hand movements.

Outdoor and Community Life

One large room connects directly with the preschool's own outdoor area, where play equipment and resources extend the space for activities. Outdoor use continues in different weather, and access to the adjacent school hall and grounds adds places for movement beyond the preschool building. For families choosing a small setting, those shared facilities are a useful part of the offer.

In December 2022, children used climbing equipment to practise pulling themselves upwards. The garden also needed attention: some areas were being overlooked by children, and plans to make better use of them had not yet been decided. Outdoor space matters here, but its educational use was one of the areas needing further development.

Personal, social and emotional development is an explicit emphasis at Kingfisher. It makes everyday relationships part of the educational offer, alongside activities involving language, numbers and physical play.

In December 2022, staff helped children who found separation from their parents difficult and supported disagreements by talking through feelings and kinder ways to communicate. Children practised patience, sharing and taking turns. These are concrete skills for managing a preschool day, rather than simply expectations about behaving well.

Communication with families was another part of daily practice in December 2022. Parents received recurring feedback about their child's learning, giving them a connection with what happened during sessions. Children also managed tasks such as handwashing and blowing their noses independently, making self-care part of preparation for their next stage.

Transition work had a practical connection with the school on site. In December 2022, staff worked with that school to help children prepare for moving on. This relationship concerned readiness for school; attending Kingfisher does not guarantee a Reception place, and families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Bitham Brook School Site, Arundell Close, Westbury, BA13 3UA. Kingfisher opens Monday to Friday during term time, operating for 38 weeks each year. Full days run from 8.30am to 3.30pm, with flexible sessions also offered within that opening window.

The term-time calendar is a significant part of the choice. Families can choose between a full preschool day and flexible sessions, while planning separately for school holidays. Enquiries can be made through the branch's form or by email at kingfisher@ymca-bg.org.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education includes 15 hours each week for three- and four-year-olds over 38 weeks, and 30 hours for eligible working parents. Eligible two-year-olds can access 15 hours weekly. Funding can be taken during term time, and the three- and four-year-old offers can also be spread over 51 weeks for working parents.

Private childcare is offered alongside funding. Snacks carry a separate charge, and a separate, non-compulsory consumables contribution supports activities and enrichment beyond the EYFS. These additions should be considered alongside the attendance pattern; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The session times and prices page sets out the funding and charge structure.

• Outdoor learning and staff development. In December 2022, improvement priorities included more precise staff-development targets and better use of evaluation to improve learning, especially outdoors. On a visit, ask how the garden's less-used areas and staff supervision have changed.
• Funding across the year. Kingfisher operates for 38 term-time weeks, while its funding arrangements include spreading entitlement over 51 weeks. Ask how that funding pattern works with the preschool's opening calendar before choosing it.
• School-site convenience. Access to the school hall and grounds adds useful space, and December 2022 transition work involved the school on site. Keep the Reception application separate: preschool attendance does not guarantee admission.

Kingfisher suits families seeking either flexible preschool sessions or full days during term time, with a small whole-setting capacity and access to school facilities. Its own building and direct outdoor access give it a practical identity beyond the school address.

The December 2022 judgement provides a positive starting point, with language, relationships and independence prominent in the account of children's day. The decision should also take account of the term-time calendar, the funding arrangement chosen and the dated priorities for staff development and outdoor learning.