Welcome to Saplings

We are delighted to welcome you to our pre-school 'Saplings' class at Callow End Primary School – a vibrant, caring, and nurturing part of our Early Years Unit. Working closely alongside our Reception class, we provide a gentle and seamless transition into school life when the time comes. Children move forward confident and happy, surrounded by familiar adults, friends, and routines they already know and trust.

Our preschool is a place where curiosity is celebrated, imaginations can run free, and every child feels valued. We believe that the early years are the foundation for a lifetime of learning – and we take great pride in creating an environment where your child feels safe, supported, and inspired to explore.

We welcome children from the age of two years and nine months or the term in which they turn three year. Our core opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00am–3:00pm, term time (38 weeks per year) with access also available to our wraparound care.

Once your child turns 3, they can access our wraparound care provided onsite through an external company, 'Empower Active':

• Breakfast club is available from 7:45am.

• After-school care available until 5:30pm.

We aim to offer flexibility for busy family life while keeping children in a warm and familiar setting throughout the day.  

Funding: 

We accept 15 hours Universal government funding for 3 & 4 year olds, 15 hours additional funding for working parents and childcare vouchers.  Additional hours and wraparound care can be booked at an extra charge.

Our approach to learning:

Our curriculum is thoughtfully delivered through a blend of continuous and enhanced provision, whole-group learning, and high-quality adult interactions. This means your child will experience a balance of:

• Free-flow exploration in rich, well-planned environments.

• Carefully designed enhanced activities linked to their own interests.

• Focused whole-group inputs to develop key skills and a sense of community.

We link our enhanced provision to our Book of the Week and our half-termly topics, ensuring that children’s learning is meaningful, engaging, and connected to the world around them.

What we do together:

Every week, our children enjoy:

• Daily phonics to build strong early reading and language skills.

• Weekly Woodland School sessions to explore nature, develop independence, and build resilience.

• Twice-weekly PE to grow confidence, coordination, and a love of being active.

Our pre-school children have access to our outdoor area and garden, no matter the weather. These spaces are a natural extension of our classroom and are always open for:

• Mud kitchen creations.

• Seed planting and gardening.

• Building and problem-solving with loose parts.

• Quiet moments of discovery and imaginative play.

We know that fresh air, movement, and outdoor exploration are essential for wellbeing and healthy development – so we make them part of our everyday routine.

Above all, we believe pre-school should be a place where every child feels safe, happy, and excited to learn. We build strong relationships with families, working closely with you so that your child’s early education is a joyful, positive experience.

If you are interested in applying for a place or would like more information, please email preschool@callowend.dowmat.education or call our school office on 01905 830337. We would love to welcome you for a visit, show you around our bright and busy classrooms, and let you see for yourself why our pre-school is such a special place to begin a learning journey.

Look at all the fun we have!