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Penrith Pre-School Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2022)
·The Old School, Meeting House Lane, Penrith, CA11 7TR · Westmorland and Furness
Number of places
48 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2022
Local authority
Westmorland and Furness

About this day nursery

Penrith Preschool Nursery provides a stimulating and supportive environment for children, focusing on fostering their development through play and discovery. The nursery caters to preschool-aged children from their third birthday, offering flexible, grant-funded sessions with the option for extended wrap-around care during term time, from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

Additionally, it offers funded and paid nursery sessions for two-year-olds in the afternoons. The curriculum aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, covering personal, social, and emotional development, physical development, communication and language, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.

The dedicated and highly trained staff team maintains a 1:6 staff-to-child ratio, ensuring individual attention. The nursery actively involves parents through various channels, including home link books, regular parent evenings, and newsletters, and encourages participation in the voluntary committee.

Beyond the nursery, Penrith Preschool also runs a practitioner-led Toddler Group for children from 16 months to 3 years, which helps prepare them for the preschool setting. The nursery prides itself on its educational trips to local attractions, festive celebrations, and strong links with local primary schools to ensure a smooth transition for children.

Our ethos

The nursery focuses on fostering development through play and discovery, aligning its curriculum with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. They emphasise a stimulating and supportive environment with individual attention from trained staff and strong parent involvement.

What it's like

Children are safe at this nurturing pre-school, which follows an ethos of celebrating the individual. They develop strong bonds with staff, who welcome and encourage them throughout the day. Children talk excitedly about seeing their friends and play happily together. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour.

EYFS CurriculumGrant-funded SessionsToddler GroupStrong Community Links

Pricing & funding

The nursery charges an hourly rate for practitioner-led play sessions. These sessions are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and are designed for toddlers aged 16 months to 3 years.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)

Good to know

  • Sessions run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9.30am to 11.30am.
  • Open to toddlers aged between 16 months and 3 years.

Key facts

Opening hours

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (nursery), 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM (toddler group)

Session types

morning session, afternoon session, full day, wrap-around care, toddler group session

Age range

16 months to 4 years

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Staff

6+

Waitlist

Unknown

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Penrith Pre-School Nursery

Last inspected 24 November 2022

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are safe at this nurturing pre-school, which follows an ethos of celebrating the individual. They develop strong bonds with staff, who welcome and encourage them throughout the day. Children talk excitedly about seeing their friends and play happily together. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders plan a curriculum that includes meaningful experiences across all areas of the early years curriculum.
  • Staff purposefully model language as children play and help teach them the language of thinking.
  • Staff know all children and their families very well and monitor children's progress with parents.
  • Children learn about health and well-being, exercising outside each day and learning about hygiene.
  • Parents appreciate the home-learning bags that staff send, which are specific to their child's needs.

Areas to develop

  • 1Staff do not always expect children to give their own suggestions or explain cause and effect, which does not help children to develop their own reasoning skills.
  • 2The provider should further extend the modelling of thinking skills to help children begin to verbally reason for themselves.
Inspection #10234529 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Each one is different and specific to what their child needs to know or learn to do next.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

When difficulties are identified, staff tailor activities to help children progress. Early help is prioritised, and staff liaise with outside agencies to seek necessary support. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their individual starting points.

Outdoor space

Children are busy explorers. They exercise outside each day. Staff teach them to notice the effect that exercise has on their bodies. Staff shared their learning and helped plan an activity where younger children practise large movements while painting outdoors.

Inspection history

Date: January 2010

  • November 2022Good
  • March 2017Good
  • June 2013Good
  • January 2010Good

Frequently asked about Penrith Pre-School Nursery

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