Originally known as East Stour Playgroup and held every morning in East Stour Village Hall, the preschool had a small space under the hall stage and all the equipment was pulled out and packed away every day.
In 2002 the group received National Lottery funding which enabled it to have its own premises, in the grounds of Stower Provost Community School, and it was renamed Stower Vale Preschool.
The space was not the wonderful environment it is today, in fact the outside area was just grass and mud with a steep incline where our Story House now sits.
In the 5 years that followed the preschool continued to open for mornings only and experienced a time of great uncertainty. Staff and Committee members came and went and there was very little consistency for the Preschool. There were times when the Preschool relied on the school providing staff to deliver sessions to the families of the Preschool due to staff shortages. With their support and advice from the Early Years team the preschool was able to keep moving forward and grow. In 2007, with only 9 children on the register, the Preschool remained reliant of grants to keep it financially viable.
Since this time – with an enormous amount of hard work and commitment from Staff, Committee members, families and the local community, including a large amount of fundraising to transform the outside area, the Preschool has gone from strength to strength. Building important relationships with Stower Provost School and supporting each other with the provision of Breakfast and After School Clubs – we are now able to offer a wraparound care provision.
The staff at the Preschool are dedicated and experienced, with the senior members of the team having been in the team for 14-17 years. There is an equally dedicated committee team, with many members remaining involved and supportive of the Preschool – even when their children have moved onto school.
The Preschool continues to develop with the ongoing work of the Staff and Committee – adapting and changing as required to ensure an Outstanding level of care is provided to every family in its care.