About Willow Nursery & Pre-School

Willow Nursery & Pre-School is based at Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre and situated on Whitstone School campus.  

We became Willow Nursery & Pre-School in September 2006 when Little Rascals Nursery & Shepton Mallet Pre-School Playgroup merged.  Little Rascals (previously known as Mother Goose Nursery), was established in September 1991, and Shepton Mallet Pre-School Playgroup was established in October 1967.

We are a Limited Company by Guarantee with a Board of Committee Members. This enables us to apply for grants and further funding to assist in the running of the Nursery & Pre-School.

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Willow Nursery & Pre-School is open from 7.30am-6.00pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year.

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Our aim is:

To have a holistic approach throughout the early years, which focuses on the child and celebrates their ability and competence.  We believe that children learn by doing rather than being told.  They are given appropriate responsibility and allowed to make errors, decisions and choices which informs their learning and allows the staff to plan accordingly.  We truly believe that children succeed in a caring environment where they know they are valued in an atmosphere of mutual respect within which they can have security and confidence.

Our objectives are:

To help the children achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being. We do this by implementing the principles for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).