Woodley Pre-School, Reading

Play follows the child’s interests at Woodley Pre-School, Reading, with real crockery, everyday objects and a garden used throughout the year giving children plenty to investigate. Its purpose-built home stands in the grounds of Woodford Park. The character is practical: children handle materials, make choices and develop ideas through play, while adults help extend what they discover.

The pre-school accepts children aged two to five and has 40 places in total. Ofsted rated it Good at its October 2022 inspection, while identifying two priorities: more consistent adult interactions that develop children’s thinking, and better guidance for parents supporting learning at home. Those are useful questions alongside the grade.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day patterns. This is a setting for families whose childcare arrangements fit that calendar. Its parent committee also gives families a route into the running of the pre-school, rather than limiting their involvement to exchanging information about their own child.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: here, children learn through play, with staff assessing their development and choosing resources around their interests and needs. It is the common foundation for early-years provision. Woodley’s particular approach is in the moment planning, which means adults develop children’s learning while their chosen play is happening, then document and evaluate it.

That changes how the day is organised. A child’s interest can become the starting point for an adult interaction immediately, rather than waiting for a later planned activity. Group sessions also have some give: when children are deeply absorbed in play, these can move to another time. The routine provides structure, but finishing a painting can take precedence over an exact changeover time.

Birth to 5 Matters is the non-statutory guidance staff use to inform assessment and the environment they provide. The resources include authentic objects such as old electrical items and real crockery, giving children different textures, materials and weights to explore. These are tangible choices, rather than a curriculum name standing alone.

In October 2022, children investigated how adding water altered materials and used sand to create a volcano. Board games brought counting into play through dice and moving pieces, while shaping dough introduced comparisons of size. Books were accessible in different parts of the setting, allowing stories to sit alongside other activities rather than belong only to one designated spot.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is used daily, including in wet and cold weather, and the routine allows children to move between indoors and outside during play. Wellington boots and puddle suits are recommended. Families should expect messy clothes: protective aprons are provided, but paint and mud remain part of the experience.

In October 2022, outdoor activities included handling pliers and working with screws, giving children opportunities to practise coordination, grip and persistence. Number games also took place outside. These examples connect outdoor play with learning rather than treating the garden simply as a break from indoor activities.

Cooking and tasting activities introduce unfamiliar flavours and textures. The pre-school specifies vegetarian ingredients and excludes nuts from these activities; families can tell staff if they do not want their child to participate. This adds another hands-on experience to a day built around investigation.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, assigned after attendance arrangements are confirmed and the child has started. That person maintains the child’s records, with contributions from colleagues. Key-group leaders oversee records and plan group activities around the children’s needs, giving families a clear relationship through which to discuss development.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used for photographs and observations. Parents receive their own login and can add pictures and achievements from home, so communication works in both directions. Policies are also accessible through the system. The pre-school encourages conversations with staff, with appointments offering more time or privacy when a brief discussion would not be enough.

Before starting, children and parents have familiarisation visits with the team. A developmental check for children aged two is shared with parents, who can contribute their perspective and share it with their health visitor. These arrangements bring family knowledge into the account of a child’s development, rather than relying solely on what happens during sessions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described SEND support involving coordinated strategies, including pictures and gestures, while children awaiting outside assessments continued to receive help. This is a dated judgement, rather than a guarantee about present practice. Current arrangements include a designated safeguarding lead and a SENCO role.

In October 2022, staff helped children consider others’ feelings when sharing became difficult, linking disagreements to understanding emotions. Children also practised personal care, including handwashing, and discussed healthy eating and tooth care. The emphasis was on making everyday routines understandable to children.

The current team includes six staff with at least NVQ level 3, and staff undertake further training. When children move to another setting, transfer information is shared with parents and passed on to support continuity. This is transition work, with preparation for the change as well as records of development.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Woodford Park, Haddon Drive, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4LY, with the setting based at Woodford Park Leisure Centre. Sessions run Monday to Friday during term time: mornings are 9am to noon, afternoons noon to 3pm, and full days 9am to 3pm. The full-day option therefore joins the two shorter attendance patterns.

Joining begins with a waiting-list application stating preferred days, sessions and starting term. Completing the form does not secure a place, and preferred sessions are not guaranteed. When an offer is made, the team contacts the family to agree attendance and arrange familiarisation visits. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone.

The main intake is in September. Before contacting waiting-list families about spaces, the pre-school gives existing families an opportunity to request more sessions, handling those requests in order of receipt. That is a booking rule worth understanding when planning an increase in attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Woodley accepts supported funding for two-year-olds, the fifteen-hour entitlement beginning in the term after a child turns three, and working-family funding of 30 hours. Delivery is term-time; the 30-hour arrangement runs from 9am to 3pm. Eligibility and approval remain conditions of the supported and working-family routes, rather than following automatically from choosing the pre-school.

Families must complete the relevant funding paperwork promptly and tell the team if they also claim funding at another setting. For working-family funding, the eligibility code must be shared with the pre-school. Delayed approval can leave parents liable for the cost of attendance, so paperwork affects the practical arrangement as well as the application itself.

Paid sessions are also offered, with current prices obtained in the pre-school’s written quotation. Paying families receive invoices before each half term and must settle them before attendance begins; online payment is preferred, cheques are accepted and cash is not. Withdrawing a child requires four weeks’ written notice.

Parents supply morning snacks, packed lunches for afternoon or full-day attendance, and nappies and wipes where needed; the pre-school supplies a morning milk or water drink. Its food policy excludes nut products from children’s snacks and lunches, and packed food cannot be heated or prepared on site.

Getting There

Pushchairs cannot be stored at the pre-school and must be taken home after the child is left. Families using one should build that into their daily arrangements, especially where another adult will collect.

• Teaching and home learning. The October 2022 improvement priorities concerned consistency in extending children’s thinking and helping every parent support learning at home. During a visit, ask how adults develop a child’s own ideas and how Tapestry observations translate into activities families can use.
• Term-time attendance and session requests. Morning, afternoon and full-day choices all sit within the term-time calendar, and an application does not guarantee the requested pattern. Existing families can request additional sessions before waiting-list offers are made, so discuss the intended pattern during familiarisation.
• Packed food and allergies. Families provide snacks and lunches, with nut products excluded under the pre-school’s policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm how current practice covers packed food, shared celebrations and cooking activities.
• Outdoor clothing and pushchairs. Daily garden use calls for weatherproof clothing and spare clothes, while pushchairs must go home with the accompanying adult. These are practical preparations for the routine, rather than occasional trip requirements.

Woodley suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those combining them into a full day during term time. Its clearest attractions are immediate responses to children’s play, daily garden access and Tapestry’s shared learning journal. The October 2022 Good judgement gives useful context, with the teaching and home-learning priorities keeping the assessment balanced. For parents comfortable supplying packed food and working around the term calendar, the attendance choices and hands-on approach form a coherent offer.