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Rowlands Castle Preschool

Ofsted: Strong standard·Rowlands Castle Preschool, St. Johns C Of E Primary School, Rowland's Castle, PO9 6BB · Hampshire
Number of places
23 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Hampshire

About this day nursery

Rowlands Castle Preschool, located within St. Johns C Of E Primary School in Rowland's Castle, PO9 6BB, is a well-established childcare setting registered with Ofsted since March 2024. The preschool operates 50 weeks a year, closing only for two weeks over Christmas, with opening hours from 8:00 to 17:30.

It provides dedicated care and education for children aged 2 to 4 years old, with a total capacity of 23 places. The setting is committed to fostering a nurturing environment where children thrive, grow in confidence, and develop a genuine love for learning.

Safeguarding is a top priority, with a firmly embedded open culture where all staff are responsible for children's safety and well-being. The preschool places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning, with children regularly engaged in forest school activities that build physical confidence and risk awareness.

The curriculum is carefully designed to equip children with essential skills and knowledge for life, integrating all seven areas of learning from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with a sustained focus on communication and special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and staff work closely with families and external agencies, ensuring that every child, particularly those with SEND, receives tailored support and makes excellent progress from their starting points.

The collaborative leadership approach encourages staff contribution and ownership, creating a dynamic and responsive learning environment where children's voices are genuinely considered.

Our ethos

Rowlands Castle Preschool is committed to providing a safe and stimulating environment that fosters a "home from home" atmosphere. Their curriculum emphasises outdoor learning, gardening, and sustainability, encouraging children to engage with nature. They adopt a family-centric approach and operate within the EYFS framework to support the holistic development of each child.

What it's like

Children thrive at this nurturing and ambitious pre-school. Every part of the day is shaped around helping them feel secure, grow in confidence and develop a genuine love of learning. From the moment they arrive, children move into familiar routines freely and confidently. Staff know each child extremely well and greet them with genuine warmth. Children meet every opportunity with curiosity and confidence.

Strong standardOutdoor learningSEND supportCurriculum focus

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request

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

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Key facts

Opening hours

08:00 - 17:30, 50 weeks a year (closed for two weeks at Christmas)

Waitlist

Registration places will be limited to 20 children on a first come first served basis.

Age range

2 years old to school joining age

Term time / All Year

Mixed

Established

2024

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Strong standard

Last inspected Mar 2026

Headline: Strong standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
—
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementStrong standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
InclusionStrong standard
Leadership and governanceStrong standard
Age range
2 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Rowlands Castle Preschool

Last inspected 31 March 2026

What it's like to attend

Children thrive at this nurturing and ambitious pre-school. Every part of the day is shaped around helping them feel secure, grow in confidence and develop a genuine love of learning. From the moment they arrive, children move into familiar routines freely and confidently. Staff know each child extremely well and greet them with genuine warmth. Children meet every opportunity with curiosity and confidence.

Inspector highlights

  • Children make excellent and consistent progress from their starting points across all areas of learning.
  • Children who face barriers achieve exceptionally well through targeted support and planned opportunities.
  • Younger children show impressive progress, particularly in physical confidence, communication and independence.
  • All children develop a genuine love of the outdoors and build real-life skills linked to the environment and sustainability.
  • Relationships between staff and children are genuinely warm, and children approach any adult with ease and confidence.
  • Children take real responsibility for their own behaviour and understand staff's expectations.
  • Assessment is a real strength, with children's next steps visible on the 'learning wall' and accessible to every member of staff.
  • Parent partnerships are central to everything, with staff shaping individual plans in partnership with families and external professionals.
  • Leadership is genuinely collaborative, with staff contributing ideas and taking ownership of developments.
  • Strong links with the local school enrich children's experiences and make transitions smooth and positive for every child.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Leaders and staff have built a highly effective approach to inclusion, swiftly identifying and supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use a clear, structured process for monitoring and targeted support, and work closely with families and external agencies, including for children with education, health and care plans, to ensure thorough processes and positive impacts.

Outdoor space

The setting has a strong commitment to outdoor learning, with children regularly attending forest school. This supports a peaceful atmosphere, helps children understand how to keep themselves safe, and links to real-life skills, environmental awareness, and sustainability.

EAL / language support

The setting provides rich language experiences through storytelling, small-group work, and exposure to different languages and cultures. Staff use daily language groups, visual prompts, objects of reference and small-group work consistently, making a clear difference to children's progress in communication and language.

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

31 March 2026

Strong standard

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

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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