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Southwater Village Hall Pre-School

Ofsted: Good
(Oct 2024)
·
5.0(5 parent reviews) ·Church Lane, Southwater, RH13 9BT · West Sussex
Number of places
42 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Oct 2024
Local authority
West Sussex

About this day nursery

Southwater Village Hall Preschool, established in 1974, stands as the only charity-funded preschool in the village, offering a nurturing environment for early years education. The preschool provides comprehensive care and learning opportunities, featuring a newly built, expansive play area with a garden and mud kitchens, introduced in 2020.

They offer a virtual tour for prospective families to explore their facilities. Committed to supporting families, the preschool accepts various government funding schemes and tax relief options.

For registration inquiries, an online form is available, and payments can be conveniently made via bank transfer or through the Famly app. Southwater Village Hall Preschool maintains a transparent fee structure for different age groups and sessions, along with additional fees for joining and membership.

They operate with a clear policy on fees and payments, encouraging timely submissions and providing guidance on available funding. The preschool is dedicated to fostering a fun and engaging learning experience for all children.

What it's like

Children are enthusiastic as they arrive at this well-organised pre-school and are keen to find out what staff have planned for them. Staff provide a large range of well-planned activities in both the outdoor and indoor environment, motivating children to learn through activities that interest them. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour, modelling respect and kindness, and providing clear boundaries and routines.

Charity-fundedLarge purpose-built play areaAccepts government funding schemes

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured by age band, covering children aged 18 months to three years, and those aged three and over. Charges are billed per morning, afternoon, or adhoc session, with an optional lunch link session. Additional costs include joining, membership, and voluntary consumables fees.

Funding accepted

30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-oldsTax-Free Childcare

Good to know

  • Fees are due by the end of the second week of the term.
  • Refunds are not issued for non-attendance.
  • A voluntary consumables charge applies per session.
  • P.L.A Membership is charged per term per family.

Key facts

Opening hours

9.00 am to 4.00 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm on Wednesday and Friday

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Established

1992

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Southwater Village Hall Pre-School

Last inspected 15 October 2024 · Tina Lambert

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

Children are enthusiastic as they arrive at this well-organised pre-school and are keen to find out what staff have planned for them. Staff provide a large range of well-planned activities in both the outdoor and indoor environment, motivating children to learn through activities that interest them. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour, modelling respect and kindness, and providing clear boundaries and routines.

Inspector highlights

  • A key strength of the pre-school is the overall positive attitude and very high focus given to supporting children with SEND.
  • Overall staff are skilled at using questioning techniques to gather children's views and thoughts, and generally inspire children to remain motivated and effectively extend children's play interests.
  • The newly appointed pre-school managers have a strong vision for delivering high-quality care and education for families and children, regularly reflecting on ways to improve.
  • The pre-school's keyperson system is firmly embedded, helping children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure.
  • Children have a firm understanding of healthy lifestyles and benefit from running around outside in the fresh air, exploring the natural environment.

Areas to develop

  • 1improve staff support and supervision to enable staff to deliver a more consistent high-quality level of teaching
  • 2support staff to ensure that those quieter children are more consistently able to join in and benefit from the learning opportunities.
Inspection #10367125 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Staff comment that managers create a 'wonderful' working environment and that they feel valued and listened to.

Parents feedback that the pre-school is well-managed and that their children are prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as moving onto school.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff use visual cues to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to understand what is happening next which effectively supports their wellbeing. Staff are skilled at identifying and supporting children who need additional help. Staff who work with children with SEND are highly passionate about their role and ensure that children who need extra help are making progress. Staff receive training on how to plan for and support children who need a more targeted approach, and additional funding is used accordingly to support individual needs.

Outdoor space

Staff provide a large range of well-planned activities in both the outdoor and indoor environment. Children benefit from running around outside in the fresh air. They negotiate and climb obstacles and ride on tricycles and scooters. Children explore the natural environment as they dig in the soil. Staff explain how to care for living creatures as children carefully find a place to rehome a snail.

Parent Reviews of Southwater Village Hall Pre-School

5.0
(5)
Esther Andrews
2 years ago

Highly recommend this preschool to anyone local to Southwater. Amazing staff - so kind and caring. My son absolutely loved going here. Facilities and education standards are outstanding. They run 'plus groups' the term before kids are due to start school which prepares them so well for big school.

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Lacey Standing
9 years ago

What a fantastic preschool, all the teacher's are friendly and very approachable with problems or concerns and acted on very quickly, my son loved going, there was lots of fun and educational activities planned everyday, they never get the chance to be bord

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Hannah Nichols
11 years ago

Fantastic preschool used for both my children 2yr5m to school age, large hall for younger and older ones and smaller room just for older ones to start to prepare them for school.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Southwater Village Hall Pre-School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: September 2004

  • November 2024Good
  • October 2024Good
  • March 2019Good
  • February 2019Good
  • May 2016Good
  • April 2016Good
  • October 2011Outstanding
  • April 2008Outstanding
  • September 2004Good

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