Who we are and what we do

We are a Preschool set in the rural village of Beetley close to the market town of Dereham in Norfolk. We offer care and education to children from age two to five years and have been rated ‘excellent’ by Ofsted since 2010.

We currently have 50 children on our register coming from families living in Beetley and surrounding villages including Bilney, Beeston and Gressenhall. We have a waiting list for children that we are unable to accommodate at present.

Our building is a tin mobile unit that is no longer fit for purpose. It has just one playroom to accommodate all the children, a store room that doubles as an adult toilet, a tiny kitchen and an even smaller office. The unit is over 15 years old and has passed its life-expectancy. It is difficult to maintain and to regulate heat so we are too cold in winter and too hot in summer. We’ve worked hard to create a stimulating outdoor area for our children, but the small space limits what we can provide.

Our aim

We want to build a bigger and better Preschool building to provide more space and spaces for more children, in a more stimulating setting and be more comfortable for our children and staff. We are keen to minimise our environmental impact and want our new building to be as energy efficient as possible. We also want to create a larger outdoor area with links to the neighbouring woodland and plan to introduce ‘forest school’ activities.