Preschool
At Westbourne School, our Preschool for children aged 3 to 4 is a place where little learners feel happy, safe, and ready to thrive.
We know these early years are precious. That’s why we focus on nurturing the whole child, creating a warm and caring environment where curiosity is encouraged, confidence blossoms, and every child is celebrated for who they are. Through a gentle balance of playful exploration and thoughtful teaching, children begin to discover their interests, build friendships, and develop a love of learning that will stay with them for years to come.
Guided by our commitment to Excellence, we support each child to grow in independence, creativity, and communication. Every day is filled with moments of wonder, laughter, and discovery - helping your child feel secure, inspired, and ready for the exciting journey ahead.
Our combined Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Reception class approach provides a strong, supportive platform for all children through a balance of playful exploration and purposeful teaching that nurtures curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning.
Our provision offers a seamless two-year journey that nurtures the magic of early childhood while building strong foundations for academic readiness.
At Westbourne Preschool, we believe children thrive when learning is rich, varied, and inspiring. Alongside their class based experiences, children benefit from specialist teaching that brings learning to life in exciting and meaningful ways.
To provide a truly holistic education, our Preschool pupils enjoy sessions led by expert Specialist Teachers. These lessons introduce different learning styles, new experiences, and a refreshing change of pace within the school day.
In Preschool children's sessions are thoughtfully tailored to suit their age and stage of development. Engaging specialist lessons allow children to experience a broad and exciting curriculum while still enjoying plenty of uninterrupted time in their classroom environment, where they can explore, play, and embed their learning through continuous provision. This approach also helps them build positive relationships with specialist staff from the very beginning of their Westbourne journey.
Children will be taught by specialist teachers who will deliver sessions in:
Outdoor Learning (Forest School), PE, French, Drama & Music
— Mrs Brocklebyrne, Head of Westbourne Junior School. Children aged 3 -11 years
“Choosing the right place to begin your child’s education is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Westbourne, we believe these early years hold extraordinary potential. By beginning their journey with us at this vital stage, children are nurtured within a safe, inspiring, and joyful environment where curiosity is celebrated and confidence is gently built. Our aim is to lay strong foundations that ignite a lifelong love of learning and empower every child to flourish and achieve their full, individual potential.”
The Benefits of Our Combined EYFS Setting
At Westbourne, our combined Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) setting creates a rich, nurturing environment where Preschool and Reception children learn and grow together. This carefully designed approach allows children to benefit from shared experiences while still receiving teaching that is fully tailored to their age and stage of development.
For Preschool children, being part of a combined EYFS setting offers many wonderful advantages:
They are gently introduced to the routines and expectations of school life in a calm, familiar environment. By learning alongside Reception children, they naturally begin to observe and absorb new skills, language, and learning behaviours through positive role modelling.
This mixed-age setting helps Preschool children to:
- Build confidence as they see what they will achieve next in their learning journey
- Develop stronger communication and social skills through wider peer interactions
- Become familiar with school routines in a supportive, low-pressure way
- Access a richer learning environment with shared resources and experiences
- Form early friendships across age groups, supporting a strong sense of belonging
At the same time, Reception children benefit too, by developing leadership, empathy, and confidence as positive role models for younger learners. In addition, Reception children benefit from extended specialist lessons to deepen their knowledge and skills.
Together, this blended approach creates a calm, family-like atmosphere where children learn from and with each other, building strong foundations for their future learning journey at Westbourne.
Inspiring Wonder from the very start
Opening Hours
Preschool will run throughout the Westbourne School academic year.
The day sessions begin at 8.15am and finish at 3.30pm, Monday - Friday.
Wrap around care provisions are available and further information regarding this will be coming soon.
Funding
We offer 15 hours of Funded Early Learning, which can be used as part of a minimum 3-day Preschool week.
For the best experience, we gently encourage families to consider a 5-day placement. This allows children to fully immerse themselves in the rhythm of school life, build stronger friendships, and develop a deeper sense of belonging within our caring community, while also giving them the opportunity to access all aspects of our specialist curriculum.
Children can start the first term after their third birthday. For example, a child born in October could start at our Preschool in January.
Our Stay and Play sessions run monthly and are open to families with children from babies up to 5 years old.
Each session is filled with fun, themed activities and crafts designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and early learning through play. It’s a wonderful opportunity for children to explore, make new friends, and enjoy time in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
For parents and carers, Stay and Play is a great way to meet other families, get to know our Early Years team, and experience our setting in a friendly and informal way.
We look forward to welcoming you. Find out more here!
