Charlton with Cropthorne Pre-School

A mud kitchen, vegetable growing and Forest School give Charlton with Cropthorne Pre-School a clear outdoor identity. Its base is The Old School Room in Charlton, and parents and carers run the setting through a management committee. Family involvement extends beyond conversations about a child's day: the committee gives families a role in how the pre-school operates.

There are 27 places in total, with a current age range of 30 to 60 months. At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, recognising engaging learning and effective support for additional needs while identifying weaknesses in questioning, following through on children's learning priorities and monitoring staff practice. Those improvement points matter alongside the outdoor offer.

Attendance is term-time, with morning attendance, a lunchtime extension and progression to afternoons forming part of the booking model. This is a pre-school whose practical fit depends on the school-term calendar as much as its activities.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, children's development and assessment of their progress. Here, that means adults observing what interests a child, joining their play and providing support to help it develop. It is the shared early-years framework; the outdoor arrangements and individual learning links give this setting its own character.

Wooden blocks, an art trolley, a home corner and a book area provide different starting points for play. A child can build, make, act out familiar experiences or spend time with books. The emphasis is on following children's interests, with adults adding resources and assistance rather than expecting every child to follow the same activity.

In March 2023, books and songs were connected to a topic each half term, and children could take related books home. Reading therefore continued with families beyond the session. Activities also introduced festivals and celebrations, giving children opportunities to encounter cultural differences through their play.

The March 2023 picture included children making musical shakers and managing practical tasks such as opening snack packaging. These examples show the everyday form of independence being encouraged: handling materials, persevering with a task and doing more for oneself. They are more useful indicators of the day than a broad claim about school preparation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Weekly Forest School introduces children to nature through outdoor activities. Sessions at Cropthorne School generally run between Easter and October Half Term, for children aged 3+ who are ready for that environment. Eligibility depends on readiness as well as age, so it should not be read as an automatic part of every younger child's timetable.

The Forest School site includes a digging pit, a tool area and a base camp with seating. A log cabin provides shelter when the weather deteriorates, while trees and bushes create places to investigate. Activities follow children's interests, with opportunities to explore the environment and work together; snack and lunch take place in the Forest School area. Waterproof clothing can be borrowed for pre-school attendance.

Back at The Old School Room, grass and paved surfaces support different kinds of outdoor play. Trikes use the paving, while the mud kitchen and planting area create opportunities for messy play and growing flowers and vegetables. Outdoor learning is therefore supported by the pre-school's own grounds as well as the separate Forest School sessions.

Community involvement has named occasions. The annual Duck Race takes place in Charlton's brook at the end of Spring Term, and another runs during Charlton Country Fayre. These are fundraising events rather than a promise of an identical programme for every child. For families who want to take part in village life, they provide concrete ways to support the setting beyond its committee.

Relationships and Communication

A Key Person provides regular contact with families, both face to face and through Tapestry, the online channel used to share information about learning. Home-learning suggestions include ideas to try and possible next steps. That gives parents something practical to build on rather than simply an account of what happened during a session.

In March 2023, an All About Me journal connected children's experiences at home with their time at pre-school. Children could share significant moments in either direction. This supported continuity between the adults caring for them, with the journal following their experience from starting to leaving.

Regular emailed newsletters add a separate channel for general updates. Individual learning conversations and setting-wide information serve different purposes: one concerns the child's development, while the other helps families follow pre-school life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

There is a SENCO role, and the team has experience working with professionals supporting additional needs. Staff training includes first aid and autism-related training. These are specific arrangements families can discuss in relation to their child, rather than a blanket promise that every need can be met in the same way.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described early identification of additional needs, with extra funding supporting speech and language input and physical development. The finding concerns practice at that date. Current support should be considered through the child's individual circumstances and the pre-school's SENCO arrangements.

In March 2023, children used the colour monster as a visual way to communicate emotions when they found feelings difficult to manage. Handwashing routines and activities about dental care also formed part of the day. These examples connect wellbeing with things children can practise and understand, rather than treating it only as an adult responsibility.

School preparation had practical substance in March 2023: older children attended taster activities at their local primary school and took part in shared events. Becoming familiar with another setting can help make the next step less unfamiliar. These activities are preparation for moving on, rather than a school admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old School Room, Ryden Lane, Charlton, Pershore, WR10 3LQ, behind Charlton Church. Contact is available by email, telephone and WhatsApp.

Opening hours are 8.45am to 3pm from Monday to Thursday, with Friday finishing at 1pm. Attendance follows term time. Younger children usually begin with a morning ending at noon, then add lunch until 1pm or stay into the afternoon when ready. This allows the length of attendance to develop with the child.

The minimum booking is two sessions of three hours, spread across two days. Families therefore need a recurring pattern rather than a single weekly session. The shorter Friday also matters when matching attendance to work or other care arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded pre-school education is offered during term time. From the term following a child's third birthday, the entitlement described is up to 15 hours weekly; additional funding for some working parents and funding for eligible two-year-olds are also supported. Entitlement depends on the relevant conditions, and a funding category covering younger children does not change the pre-school's accepted ages.

Private hours are offered, with payment for two-year-olds due each half term. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation. Funded children's invoices include a voluntary activities and snack charge, covering the morning including lunchtime or a full day.

• Starting age. The current age range is 30 to 60 months, while the pre-school describes a starting point from age two. For a younger two-year-old, clarify the accepted starting age before arranging attendance.
• Learning follow-through. March 2023 improvement priorities concerned extending children's thinking, using identified learning priorities during child-led play and checking staff practice more regularly. At a visit, ask how adults now put these into practice during an ordinary session.
• Lunch and personal supplies. Morning attendance can extend through lunch, and funded invoices carry a voluntary activities and snack charge. Ask what lunch arrangements and personal supplies your child's particular attendance pattern requires.

Charlton with Cropthorne Pre-School suits families seeking term-time morning attendance or longer days that develop through lunch and afternoons. Its strongest practical attractions are the outdoor grounds, seasonal Forest School at Cropthorne School and direct parent involvement in running the setting.

The Good judgement from March 2023 provides a dated assessment, with clear teaching and management priorities to weigh alongside it. For families comfortable with the term-time calendar and minimum two-day pattern, this is a pre-school with concrete outdoor opportunities and an active connection to village life.