Today’s post on Bishopston Mum is a parent’s review of Bishopston Beanstalks, a pre-school located at Bishopston Methodist Church, 245 Gloucester Road. Bishopston Beanstalks has a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating and runs on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during term-time.

In this review, this local mum explains why she chose Bishopston Beanstalks as a pre-school, the activities on offer, her experience of the staff and how they helped her child settle in and what she likes best and least about this pre-school. I hope you find it helpful.

Why did you choose Bishopston Beanstalks Pre-school for your child?

We were initially at a different pre-school, but decided to leave after a few weeks. A friend suggested Bishopston Beanstalks as two of her children had been there and they loved it.

It’s extremely local to us, so I popped in for a visit and was struck by how welcoming the staff are, and what a relaxed and happy atmosphere the pre-school has.

My daughter who was with me immediately joined in some activities and was totally included by the staff…in fact she turned to one of them and said “I really like your play group” which I took to be a good sign!

How did staff manage your child’s settling-in process?

Beanstalks has a very gentle approach to settling in. Our key worker and another colleague came on a home visit, where they had the chance to play with my daughter and get to know her a bit, and I could ask any questions I had. I’m sure it helped her on her first session as she was familiar with the staff.

On her first morning I was invited to stay for as long as was needed, then left her for an hour or so. She was absolutely fine and very happy to be left. Every morning parents come in and can take time to settle the children in to an activity and talk to the staff if they need to.

What do you like best about Bishopston Beanstalks?

I think the best thing about Beanstalks how child-centred they are. The staff get to know the children really well and support them at their level.

I really noticed this as my daughter is one of the youngest there, and was struggling to understand why she had to stop her activity when it was tidy up time. The staff took it really gently and gave her lots of support to join in and tidy up, at a level that was manageable for her.

I really feel my daughter is very safe and cared for there, as well as having lots of fun.

What do you like least?

I was a bit concerned at the beginning that they do not have a garden, but I now know that the children get plenty of activity, and do so many interesting outings so I don’t think it’s a problem. In fact I think that their lack of garden has made them more creative in their activities!

What kind of activities are on offer at Bishopston Beanstalks?

Every session there are a variety of different activities set out in the hall. There are regulars such as painting, play dough, cooking, dressing up, train tracks and cars.

The hall also has two mezzanine levels which are set out as a cosy reading corner with Teddies, and a home corner (my daughter loves both of these).

There are also always exciting new activities such as working out how to get toys out of a block of ice! At the end of every session the hall is cleared and the children have a chance to play physical games which they love. There are also regular trips to the park, to local Gloucester road shops, and even to the local theatre.

They also have visitors such as a magician last term, and a pre-school drama company.

What do you think of the staff at Bishopston Beanstalks?

The staff are extremely kind and caring. Each child has a key worker who you can talk to about how your child is getting on, and ours got to know my daughter very quickly.

But all the staff are really involved with all the children and I feel I can talk to any of them. They are really fun and my daughter adores them all, which I think says a lot.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about this pre-school?

If you live locally to the Gloucester road, it’s likely you will meet other children who will be going on to the same primary school as you – which is really helpful for the transition to school.

So, if you’re looking for a local pre-school I would really recommend going to visit Beanstalks to see what they have to offer!

If you would like information and reviews about other local pre-schools, please visit the Bishopston Mum Pre-schools page.