Dodleston Pre-School has been established for 35 years in the pretty village of Dodleston, just a few miles outside Chester and near the border of North Wales and Flintshire. It’s a beautiful, countryside setting with fantastic views of the Welsh Hills, and even cows on our doorstep in summer.
The Pre-School is open for 25 hours a week over 4 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) and we take children from 2 years to school age. We are located in the village hall.
What we do
At our pre-school, we put children first. We want to create the perfect environment for them to develop their own personalities with a space they feel safe in.
Our relaxing environment means they can build the confidence to explore and learn, boasting both exciting and challenging activities that aim to inspire young minds and encourage their natural instinct and curiosity. We have a large hall and outdoor area, and are strong advocates of learning through play and child-led activities.
We believe in encouraging each child so they can reach their potential. Every child is treated as an individual and encouraged to participate in activities that relate to their personal interests. We learn what they do and don’t like, as well as their rate of learning so we can educate them accordingly. It’s certainly not a ‘one size fits all’ approach at Dodleston.
Our children are curious, they are explorers, they ask questions and seek answers through their indoor and outdoor experiences, alongside staff who know when to intervene to scaffold learning and when to stand back and let the children lead. Our staff are trained to at least level 3 in childcare, other staff hold level 6 and are working towards level 7.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This is the period of education from age 0 to 5. We do this via a child-led approach known as ‘In The Moment’ that is tailored entirely to meet your child’s individual needs.
Through this approach, we plan to equip your child with the skills they need for a strong school start and a bright future. We provide an inclusive environment in which all children are able to thrive and reach their full potential regardless of any additional needs.
To see specific examples of what we get up to on a daily basis, you can find our Day in the Life articles.
Additional needs
We are an inclusive setting and we would love to get to know you and your child so that we can meet their additional needs. We will strive to make reasonable adjustments for inclusion so that your child flourishes in our care.
We have experience in identifying additional needs and of working with parents and agencies. We will help parents and carers to access services that they need. Dodleston Pre-School has a trained SENCO and staff are happy to receive training in all areas of care and education. We endeavour to seek funding for 1:1 assistance where required.
We operate a keyworker system and run an effective communication system so that children are well known by all members of staff.
Our staff also have experience in the following areas:
- Makaton
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Developmental delay
- Autism
- PECS
Dodleston Pre-School is very much a part of the local community and we have strong links with Dodleston CofE Primary School.
In our latest Ofsted report in June 2019, we received a ‘Good’ rating. You can find all our recent Ofsted reports here.
For further information, please email dodlestonpreschool@googlemail.com or telephone 01244 661 611.