About Us

The Early Bird Pre-School CIC is a community interest company that has been providing a warm and friendly welcome to children and their families in the local community for over 10 years, since the Family Centre in Letchworth opened in October 2009.  

In December 2022 we expanded our provision by taking over a charity run playgroup and offering the same high quality care and education to families in Wheathampstead. The Company Directors take an active part in both settings and we are delighted to offer team training to the whole of the Early Bird team at both of our settings.

In October 2018 our Letchworth pre-school was delighted to receive an Outstanding Ofsted judgement where the inspector reported:-

• “Staff have an excellent understanding of how to promote children's emotional attachments. Children are fully supported by extremely nurturing and attentive staff who organise themselves highly effectively to ensure all children have positive, meaningful play and learning experiences.”

• Staff develop exemplary partnerships with parents. They expertly support parents to have confidence in continuing their child's learning in the home environment.

• The management team provides excellent professional development opportunities for staff. For example, recent training has helped key staff to address children's behaviour extremely well and support children who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities superbly. Staff are highly responsive to the children's complex needs. Outcomes for all children are excellent.

• The manager provides all staff with regular confidential meetings to discuss their key children, their ongoing suitability and training needs. This, and regular observations of staff practice, ensures teaching has a continuously high impact on all children's learning.

• Children develop a wide-ranging understanding of themselves and others in the community. For example, they visit older people in the community to share special events.”

To read the full report follow this link https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY536671

We are proud of our settings and love to engage with our local community and learning from real experiences.  In Letchworth we have built up a great relationship with St Catherine’s Care Home and our nursery children often draw pictures, collect gifts and take on visits to the elderly residents there.  In addition we are welcome visitors to Standalone Farm, the library, L'Artista, Morrisons and the fountain in Broadway Gardens.

In Wheathampstead, you will often see us out and about in the village visiting the library, St Helen's church, running up and down the banks of Devil's Dyke, exploring the Crinkle Crankle gardens, looking at the ducks in Mill Quay or buying groceries for the pre-school in Tesco's.

Both settings love to have visitors at Early Birds, the police, fire service, paramedics and local professionals, crafts people or musicians are all regular visitors.