Welcome

‘Children are eager to enter this welcoming and safe Pre-School. Friendly staff
welcome them individually. Children settle quickly and engage in a variety of
stimulating activities. Staff plan and implement their curriculum well to ensure that
children make good progress from their starting points.’ - Ofsted 2024

Our Pre-School is based in the Parish Rooms building of the village of Collaton St Mary, set in a lovely semi-rural area on the outskirts of Paignton, Devon. The Pre-School is run by a team of experienced, well-trained and dedicated staff, all checked by the Criminal Records Bureau.

The Pre-School is registered and inspected by OFSTED, we work closely with the Torbay Early Years Advisory Group, and we are also members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

Established in 1989 as Collaton St Mary Community Playgroup, we changed in April 2016 to operate as Collaton St Mary Pre-School CIO. The Pre-School has gradually increased in size to accommodate the growing demand for quality childcare in the surrounding area. We operate from two ground-floor rooms with access to a safe outside play area. Sessional and full day care is available for up to thirty children, from the age of two years until they leave for school. Parents are always welcome in the Pre-School, particularly during the initial stages of their child’s time with us. Once your child has started with us, you will be invited to access our parents' area on the website where we have a photo gallery and useful information and links.

The Pre-School is managed by Trustees, who provide all round support to the staff.

Aim

We aim through play to offer each child the opportunity to expand their experiences of the world by following the guidelines of the Early Years Foundation Stage, broadening their horizons and ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary skills to cope with moving on to school.

Pre-School Entry

It is our intention to make our pre-school genuinely accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We maintain a waiting list for entry and your child’s name can be added by completing the 'Registering an interest' form which can be found on our prospective parents' page and returning it to Pre-School.

The majority of our children transfer to Collaton St Mary Primary School, but we also feed to other schools in the Torbay and surrounding areas. All these schools have their own, separate, admissions policies.