Founded by a committee of parents and school leaders in 2010, Dickleburgh Pre-School began with 12 children and two staff. Today it boasts 53 children and seven staff, providing high-quality education for children in the village and the surrounding catchment area.
Headteacher, Mrs Moira Croskell said: “The Dickleburgh Pre School and Primary Academy are a popular choice for parents because of our excellent provision. That, combined with more families moving to the area, the pre-school is expanding and our need for further support and growth is important, which is why merging with the St Benet’s Multi Academy Trust is the right thing to do at this stage.”
Richard Cranmer, CEO of St Benet’s Multi Academy Trust said: “The blending of the pre-school and the Primary Academy is something to celebrate for our pupils, our teaching staff, and our parents. Becoming part of the St Benet’s family will allow the pre-school to continue to grow. Our support network across both schools will enable further families in the area to send their children to both schools. The academic education in both schools is high and we congratulate the teachers and staff for their consistent dedication and hard work.”
Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy, run by St Benet’s MAT, is the obvious choice for parents with children who are attending the pre-school, as it’s situated on the same site, children within the families can attend both schools and the educational standard is high.
Mrs Croskell said: “When the pre-school merged with Dickleburgh Primary Academy it made complete sense as both settings have always worked very closely. It makes the transition for pupils easy and effective and the lovely thing is, we already know the parents, the children, and their past education while attending the pre-school.”
She continues: “We are very proud of what we are achieving at our pre-school. It provides early years provision for infants from two years up to four years old, allowing parents the opportunity to place their children into an exceptional educational environment and allowing them to go to work if needs be. Our success is down to Sue Brown, the Pre-School Manager, and the staff, who work to the same high standards and expectations as the school. This shows in the achievements of the pre-school with two consecutive Outstanding Ofsted judgments.”
The pre-school has just added a third extension to the teaching cabin making more room for the in-coming pre-school pupils for 2021.