Billy & Boo Preschool Windsor

Outdoor play and a church-hall base give Billy & Boo Preschool Windsor a recognisable character. Forest School sessions add to the outdoor offer, while the preschool's June 2023 daily life included number hunts, imaginative tea-making and children choosing stories together. These are concrete starting points for families who want play to carry the learning.

At its 9 June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective. The improvement point was specific: younger children needed better-organised larger-group activities so that waiting did not interrupt their engagement.

Based at All Saints Church Hall on Frances Road, Windsor, SL4 3AJ, the setting has capacity for 36 children aged two to five. Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day bookings.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, play provides opportunities to practise communication, movement, independence and early number skills. The outdoor play area and Forest School sessions give families an outdoor element to weigh alongside the indoor preschool day.

In June 2023, children explored number recognition through hunts, made seaside pictures and described the marks they might use for sea creatures. Another activity involved breaking ice with spoons to uncover creatures inside. That connected a playful discovery task with practice using hands and tools, rather than treating physical development as a separate exercise.

Imaginative play had a social purpose too. In June 2023, children prepared pretend tea for friends, while books were something they selected themselves and shared with adults. Voting for a group story gave children a small, concrete decision to make together. Learning to choose, listen and take turns sat alongside the content of the story.

Playball is also offered as a club. It adds another activity option to consider alongside the preschool sessions; Forest School belongs to the outdoor offer. Families comparing the day should distinguish these named additions from the everyday play activities described above.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children formed secure relationships with staff and their key person, and that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress with support informed by external agencies. That finding gives a dated basis for judging relationships and inclusion, rather than a general promise about every child's experience.

In June 2023, staff used quieter spaces, pictures, conversation and calm voices to help children manage feelings and understand expectations. These were practical ways to support a child who needed a pause from the larger group. Activities using dough and music also helped children practise the hand movements needed for pencil use.

Independence was visible in ordinary routines in June 2023: younger children fed themselves, and older children collected drinks and opened lunch boxes. Physical activities included an obstacle course and practice moving balls. Small daily tasks gave children opportunities to do things for themselves.

Moving on to school received practical attention in June 2023. Staff shared detailed information with parents, met teachers and took part in school visits and settling sessions. The value was continuity: adults could exchange knowledge about a child, and the child could become familiar with the next setting before the move.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. Lunch Club extends a morning booking until 1pm and carries an additional charge. This gives families a choice between a shorter preschool session, a morning with lunch, and a day spanning both sessions.

The preschool operates during term time and closes for school holidays. That calendar matters as much as the daily finish: a session that fits a working day still needs to fit the family's arrangements during the holidays.

Children attending an afternoon or full-day session bring a packed lunch. For those patterns, lunch preparation remains a task for families rather than a meal supplied by the preschool.

Funding and Paid Extras

Fully funded places are offered for 15 and 30 hour funding, with 2 year funding accepted for children who qualify. The term-time calendar is the attendance context for that offer; entitlement and a family's eligibility remain separate questions.

Lunch Club is a paid addition to a morning session. Families can request a current written quotation covering their intended attendance through the preschool's enquiry route; the fees page sets out the funding offer. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01753 842409.

• Younger children in group activities. In June 2023, snack and carpet sessions sometimes involved waits that reduced younger children's engagement. On a tour, ask how these activities are organised now for the youngest children.
• Term-time care with an early finish. Full days end at 3pm and school holidays are closure periods. Consider both boundaries against your family's work and holiday arrangements.
• The cost of extending a morning. Lunch Club runs from noon to 1pm and is charged separately. Request a quotation for the exact pattern you intend to use, including any club participation.

Billy & Boo Preschool Windsor suits families seeking term-time mornings or afternoons, as well as those wanting a 9am to 3pm preschool day. Outdoor play, Forest School sessions and the option of Lunch Club make the choices more concrete than a single attendance window.

The June 2023 picture combines relationships, practical independence and learning through play with a clear concern about younger children's experience of larger groups. For a family choosing a shorter preschool day, that group organisation is a useful point to explore alongside the outdoor offer and attendance pattern.