The group was formally known as Okeford Fitzpaine Pre-school Playgroup, which was started in 1974 as an informal group. Since then the Pre-school has gone from strength to strength, with us now being run by the Bright Sparks Day Nursery chain.

The group was originally run in the village hall up to the end of July 2006. In September 2005, the Board of Governors for Okeford Fitzpaine CE VA Primary school acquired a port-a-cabin style building. It was decided to situate this building within the beautiful grounds of the school and allow us as a pre-school to relocate to our own permanent site.

The pre-school building’s assets are:

 

• Its own large enclosed outdoor play area where children have the freedom to explore and play within the outdoor environment safely.
• Its own kitchen area with sink, fridge and cooker.
• Its own cloakroom with child height basins and toilets.
• Front and rear ramped entrances.
• Being situated in the beautiful grounds of Okeford Fitzpaine village school.
• An inviting area both indoors and out, for young children to start learning and exploring new activities.

 

We are very lucky at The Oak Tree Preschool to share the village school site. The preschool works very closely with the main school. Children from the preschool visit their friends in reception once a week .They enjoy a wide range of activities with the reception children led by the class teacher with the support of the staff from the preschool. The children are also welcomed into school for assembly and events taking place within the school. Many preschool children have older brothers, sisters and friends in the school so there is a real sense of community. This closeness ensures that the transition from preschool to primary school becomes a natural progression. The preschool has access to the schools facilities and equipment including the playground, field and school hall. We use the playground daily to ride the ride on toys and to run around and climb on the climbing equipment.

We pride ourselves on providing a small, warm welcoming environment where all children can feel safe, secure and relaxed. Due to the small size of the preschool we offer a very good ratio of adults to children which means that all the staff have a very good relationship and sound knowledge of all the children at the setting. We are very aware of how important it is to have a good relationship with parents and families. Parents are welcome into the setting at any time to discuss their children and we use communication books to increase the link between preschool and home. We value every child as an individual.

The preschool offers ‘free flow’ play and exploration with a door that leads onto the enclosed garden that is accessible in all weathers.

 

 

The garden consists of amazing art work taken from the Gruffalo story that has been designed and painted by a local artist. A patio area with easels and white boards that encourages mark making .A summer house which provides a quiet area for children. A splash pool with a bamboo water shoot encourages water play. The garden also includes a Sand pit and mud hill, a climbing frame and a slide. The garden is very well equipped with other items such as hula hoops, rockers, wheelbarrows, tractor tyres and toys. A lovely herb garden has been created which smells good all year round and in the summer also has strawberries growing which the children love to water and pick.

The preschool is situated in the beautiful rural North Dorset village of Okeford Fitzpaine. The children go on weekly walks to explore the area around the setting, this can include walks up Okeford hill; to the Brook to find frog spawn and frogs; to the local shop to buy healthy treats for snack time; to the post office to learn how to send letters and visits to the library van to choose books to take home. The children visit their local park as well as going on lots of listening, number and letter walks.

People from the local community come into see the children to talk about their occupations such as visits from the police, army and Oral Dental health team. The children also enjoy visits to the local fire station, train stations and walks further afield.

 

 

Meeting the individual needs of all children lies at the heart of our setting and the EYFS. The staff here deliver personalised learning, development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life.

The staff promote positive attitudes to diversity and difference within all children. In doing this we help the children to learn to value different aspects of their own and other people’s lives. This includes ensuring that all children and families feel included, safe and valued; and that all children and adults are treated as individuals and are not discriminated against; and that all children are listened to and respected.

The children are offered a wide range of learning opportunities, experiences and styles, which are designed to develop their skills, knowledge and attitude. Young children learn best when they are interested and involved in their own learning. Therefore, most of the learning is of a practical nature and involves the child in first hand experiences.

Monitoring of each child’s progress throughout the EYFS is essential to ensure that they are making progress and that particular difficulty in any of the areas of learning, whatever the cause, are identified and addressed. Each child’s individual care and learning requirements are planned for. The focus is on removing or helping to counter underachievement and overcoming barriers for children where these already exist. There are appropriate challenges for gifted and talented children.

Parents are children’s first and most enduring educators. When parents and settings work together, the results have a positive impact on the child’s development and learning. A successful partnership needs a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise.

The staff have a key role to play in working with parents to support their young children. This includes identifying learning needs and responding quickly to any difficulties. Wherever appropriate, staff work together with professionals from other agencies, such as local and community health and social services, to identify needs and provide the best learning opportunities for children.

Regular information is provided for parents about activities undertaken by the children; through wall displays, photographs and examples of children’s work.

Play underpins all development and learning for young children. Most children play spontaneously, although some may need adult support, and it is through play that they develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally.

 

If you would like to, please ring the nursery to arrange a full viewing with our manager Niki, on

01258 860023.

Or email: [email protected]