Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Castle Hill Pre-School

Ofsted: Good
(Oct 2024)
·
5.0(2 parent reviews) ·Fort Hill School, Kenilworth Road, Basingstoke, RG23 8JQ · Hampshire
Number of places
30 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Oct 2024
Local authority
Hampshire

About this day nursery

Castle Hill Pre-School is a non-profit, committee-run charity located on the grounds of Fort Hill Site. The pre-school embraces a philosophy of learning through play, offering a rich environment with diverse resources and activities, including extensive loose parts play, to stimulate children's development.

The dedicated team of practitioners, all qualified to at least Level 3 and holding paediatric first aid certifications, provide personalised care and education, collaborating with parents to support each child's progress and happiness. Recognising the critical importance of early brain development, the pre-school focuses on high-quality interactions where children are encouraged to choose their own activities, fostering deep engagement and natural learning extensions, rather than relying on adult-led interruptions.

Their curriculum is designed to support communication, language, social skills, mathematical understanding, and literacy development, with a specific focus on preparing children for school through engaging activities and resources that span both indoor and expansive outdoor play areas.

What it's like

Staff create a warm and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable and settle quickly. Children arrive happy and engage enthusiastically in activities, such as pretend play. Leaders focus on physical development and understanding of the world, with children enjoying bug hunts and feeding pre-school pets.

Charity-runCommittee-runLearning through playOutdoor play zoneExperienced staff

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Request pricing →

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, sessions from 9am to 3pm

Age range

2-4 year olds

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Established

1990

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Castle Hill Pre-School

Last inspected 11 October 2024

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Staff create a warm and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable and settle quickly. Children arrive happy and engage enthusiastically in activities, such as pretend play. Leaders focus on physical development and understanding of the world, with children enjoying bug hunts and feeding pre-school pets.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders have made positive improvements since the last inspection, focusing on children's learning needs.
  • Staff provide good support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, seeking external support for tailored assistance.
  • Leaders effectively use additional funding to broaden children's experiences through outings to local shops, parks, and woods.
  • Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop physical skills, including running in outdoor play spaces and creating obstacle courses.
  • Staff emphasise independence skills, assisting children with tasks like buttering toast and encouraging personal care routines.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen staff interactions with children to continually support and enhance their developing speech and vocabulary to an even higher level.
Inspection #10326463 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents comment they feel involved in their children's learning.

They say that staff are always available to offer advice and support, when needed.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff provide good support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They seek support from the local authority early years team and work closely with other professionals involved in children's care. This ensures children swiftly receive tailored support to help close gaps in their learning.

Outdoor space

Leaders place a strong focus on developing children's physical development and understanding of the world. Children show great pleasure as they carefully lift objects to seek out bugs in the garden. Staff provide children with many opportunities to develop their physical skills, including happily running around the outdoor play spaces and delighting in creating obstacle courses alongside staff and their friends.

Parent Reviews of Castle Hill Pre-School

5.0
(2)
Divya Sharma
7 years ago

My child loves her preschool. As a parent I m very satisfied with CHPS regarding their teaching plans, hygiene and values.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Castle Hill Pre-School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Requires improvement → Good in 2024

Date: November 2010

  • October 2024Good
  • December 2023Requires improvement
  • February 2018Good
  • May 2015Good
  • November 2010Good

Frequently asked about Castle Hill Pre-School

Nearby day nurseries in Basingstoke

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Castle Hill Pre-School.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more