Pickles Preschool, Southwick

A bright hall and daily garden access give Pickles Preschool, Southwick a straightforward character: space for children to play indoors, then room to move outside. Based at Quayside Youth Club on Upper Kingston Lane, it has 36 places in total. The emphasis is on early childhood rather than a long working-day timetable.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received personalised support that helped them progress. The clearest improvement point concerned staff interactions: opportunities to deepen children's thinking were sometimes missed.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions give families different ways to use the weekday opening window. Attendance runs across 38 weeks of the year.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care here: play and everyday experiences support learning across its different areas. It is the starting point for the day, rather than a separate enrichment programme.

In November 2024, staff planned activities around what children already understood and what they needed to learn next. Children's interests helped shape play, and practitioners worked together on individual next steps. This gives a useful picture of the teaching approach: activities had a purpose beyond keeping children occupied.

Language work was adjusted to children's communication needs. In November 2024, staff used objects and visual prompts alongside spoken language for children developing speech or learning English as an additional language. More confident speakers had conversations in which they could contribute their own ideas. These are different routes into participation, rather than one expectation for every child.

The limitation lay in following those ideas further. In November 2024, some staff did not consistently pick up children's interests during play and use them to stretch their thinking. Families should weigh that specific teaching point alongside the overall Good judgement.

Outdoor and Community Life

The hall is bright and airy, with a large garden used daily. That combination provides both indoor play space and a regular outdoor part of the day.

In November 2024, outdoor play included running, climbing and practising ball skills. Indoors, dough activities involved squeezing, rolling and pushing, exercising the smaller movements needed for early writing. Physical development therefore extended beyond energetic garden play to hand control too.

A key worker system supports relationships between staff, children and families. Parents can receive ongoing feedback about progress, while an open-door approach gives them a way to discuss concerns. These arrangements make communication part of the preschool's ordinary work, rather than something reserved for a formal meeting.

In November 2024, children turned to staff for help, encouragement and shared play. Practitioners also respected small personal choices, including seeking permission before wiping a child's nose. That is a concrete example of giving children a voice in everyday care.

Support with feelings was practical. In November 2024, staff handled minor disagreements calmly and explained their requests, helping children understand both their emotions and expectations for behaviour. Turn-taking and sharing experiences with friends were part of the observed day.

The deputy manager also holds the SENCO role. In November 2024, staff responsible for SEND sought targeted training and advice and worked with parents and external professionals. For families discussing additional needs, these are useful mechanisms to explore. A safeguarding lead role and paediatric first-aid training also sit within the management team.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Quayside Youth Club, Upper Kingston Lane, Southwick, Brighton, BN42 4RE. Pickles opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, for 38 weeks each year, with weekends and bank holidays closed.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoons run from noon to 3pm. A full day runs from 9am to 3pm. The morning and afternoon options allow a shorter attendance pattern, while the full day spans the complete opening window. This is a term-time preschool timetable, so its fit depends on both the hours and the weeks a family needs.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by email at picklespreschoolsouthwick@gmail.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Pickles accepts free entitlement funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds without additional costs. That gives families using those entitlements a clear charging position for funded attendance. Current prices for any privately paid arrangement should come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Teaching during play. The November 2024 improvement point was about using children's interests to extend their thinking more consistently. At a visit, ask how staff now turn a child's idea into a deeper conversation or activity.
• Hours and the annual timetable. Sessions finish at 3pm and attendance covers 38 weeks. Families needing later care or coverage beyond term time should judge this timetable against their working arrangements.
• Starting under two. The preschool advertises care from 18 months, while the children covered by the November 2024 inspection were aged two to four. Ask how settling and daily care are organised for the youngest children.

Pickles suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon sessions or a full preschool day within a term-time routine. The hall and daily garden access give the setting a clear physical identity, while its key worker system and SENCO role provide concrete routes for parent communication and additional-needs discussions.

The November 2024 Good judgement is the quality anchor. The teaching improvement point deserves attention too: the next question is how consistently staff build on children's ideas during play.