Westborough Preschool

Storybooks, emotional learning and Think Equal activities to share at home give Westborough Preschool a recognisable character. Based in Boyn Hill Baptist church hall in Maidenhead, it combines age-related circle-time groups with shared topics and opportunities for parents to join in. The emphasis is on words, relationships and practical activity.

At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Westborough Outstanding and found that children made exceptional progress through an ambitious curriculum. That judgement is dated; the current learning offer includes Think Equal Curriculum, short lessons for older children about emotions, relationships and making decisions.

There are 30 places in total. Children can start from age 2 and remain until Reception begins in the September of the year they turn 5. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside an all-day, term-time option, with clubs extending the attendance choices.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means attention to language, physical development and relationships alongside early reading, writing and number work. Westborough adds themed learning and a specific social and emotional programme to that foundation.

Think Equal Curriculum uses stories, art, conversation, music, games and acting out situations to explore social and emotional skills. Lessons last around 10 minutes each day for some older children. The content includes recognising feelings, considering other people, handling disagreements and working together. Activities also go home occasionally, giving families a way to continue the conversation.

Circle time has its own age-related structure. The caterpillar group is broadly for children aged 2, the cocoon group for those aged 3, and the butterfly group for those aged 4. Development can influence which group a child joins. These are teaching groups, rather than a promise of separate rooms or fixed group sizes, and allow the circle-time input to match children's stage.

The 2026 spring topics connected books with vocabulary, rhyme, characters and settings. The Gruffalo led into woodland habitats, while The Snail and the Whale prompted exploration of snails. In the summer, Caterpillar to Butterfly and Tadpole to Frog introduced life cycles; later topics included Ancient Egypt and Under the Sea. These give families specific subjects to talk about at home rather than a general instruction to practise learning.

In September 2025, children's homemade phonics books went home daily so families could revisit sounds and the pictures children had chosen for them. Taking part in the phonics activity was optional: a child absorbed in another activity could continue it. The book therefore supported repetition while leaving room for children's other interests.

In March 2022, everyday learning included balancing on wooden blocks and using pincers to move coloured bears while exploring counting and patterns. Books were accessible for independent browsing as well as shared reading. Staff allowed children time to think before answering questions, and older children discussed photographs of objects linked by their initial sound. Those examples show how movement, fine motor activity and conversation were combined at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Special events extend the topics beyond ordinary circle time. A February 2026 visit from Berkshire Reptiles gave children an opportunity to handle animals. World Book Day in March 2026 invited book-character costumes, with dressing up left to each family's choice.

For National Doodle Day in September 2025, drawing stations used charcoal, chalk and pastels, and parents were invited to help run them. A Diwali celebration that October included making Diyas and plans to share pakoras. These were specific occasions, rather than a promise of a weekly visitor or event programme.

Relationships and Communication

Key people are part of the settling arrangements. The September 2026 new-family morning brought children and parents together to play and meet their key people. This gave families a shared introduction before the term began.

Family Friday provides another kind of contact: a social opportunity for parents to talk with staff and other families over coffee and a croissant. Events took place in October 2025 and January 2026. Newsletters carry updates, while home-learning material links families to speech and language activities and children's phonics work. Contact therefore extends beyond formal learning tasks.

In March 2022, children had close relationships with their key person and talked with adults about feelings in stories. Snack time brought small groups together with their key person for conversation and practical tasks, including pouring drinks and examining an apple core. Care routines were also opportunities to practise independence and language.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including prompt recognition of emerging needs and the use of signing and picture cards. These are findings about practice at that inspection, rather than a general promise about an individual child's support today.

Think Equal Curriculum adds a current, explicit route into discussing wellbeing. Children explore how to manage impulses, show consideration and resolve disagreements peacefully through stories and activities. For families, its practical value is the shared subject matter: feelings and relationships become things children can discuss with adults, as well as experiences they encounter during play.

Sessions and Attendance

Westborough operates at Boyn Hill Baptist Church, 100 Westborough Road, Maidenhead, SL6 4AT. The attendance model is term-time, with an all-day option from 8am to 4pm. Main morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 8.45am, and Lunch Club bridges the main sessions from 11.45am to 12.30pm. After school club covers 3.30pm to 4pm, followed by an After School Club option from 4pm to 6pm. That gives families several named patterns to consider, from a single main session to a longer combination with clubs.

The waiting list accepts children from birth, although attendance starts at age 2. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07342 276648 or by email at westborough.preschool@gmail.com. Joining the list is a planning step, not a statement that a place is free.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2022, the preschool received funding for early education for children aged 2, 3 and 4. Private main sessions and separately priced clubs are also part of the attendance model. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, using the fees page to identify the sessions and clubs they want included.

Breakfast is included in the Breakfast Club charge, while children bring a packed lunch for Lunch Club; the after-school option ending at 6pm includes snack time. Food arrangements therefore depend on the attendance pattern.

Uniform can be bought from the preschool, including second-hand items. Easy-to-manage clothing and shoes are requested so children can dress with greater independence. This is a practical consideration when choosing what to send them in.

• Term-time attendance. Morning sessions, afternoon sessions and the all-day option operate during term time. Families needing care through school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Building a day with clubs. Breakfast Club, Lunch Club and after-school options have separate charges or food arrangements. Put the intended combination into the written quotation so the whole attendance pattern is clear.
• Age-related circle time. The caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly groups broadly follow age, with flexibility for development. During a visit, ask how the teaching group and key person would work together for your child.
• Funded attendance. Early education funding was in use in March 2022. Ask which current entitlement can be used for your chosen sessions and how meals, non-food consumables and additional hours are treated.

Westborough suits families choosing morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting an all-day term-time pattern with clubs. Its clearest educational features are the age-related circle-time groups, short Think Equal Curriculum lessons and occasional Think Equal activities to share at home.

The Outstanding judgement from March 2022 gives a strong dated assessment, while the more recent topics and family events make the present offer easier to picture. The decision turns on the attendance calendar and the combination of sessions and clubs a family actually needs.