Hopscotch Pre-School

A quieter baby area within a shared hall, child-sized kitchen furniture and a fenced garden give Hopscotch Pre-School in Westergate a clear character: play spaces adapted to different stages rather than a succession of separate classrooms. At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good overall. The practical appeal lies in the combination of space for younger children to play apart from older ones and a main hall that can change with children's interests.

Based at Aldingbourne Community Centre, Olivers Meadow, the setting has 30 places in total. It caters for children from 9 months to 5 years and operates during term time. Opening hours extend to 4.30pm on Monday to Thursday, with an earlier finish on Friday.

There are useful strengths here, alongside two clear improvement priorities from December 2023: developing the mathematics curriculum and giving children more opportunities to manage everyday tasks themselves. Those are concrete points for families to weigh alongside the play spaces and funded-childcare arrangements.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby area accommodates children aged 9 months to 2 years in a quieter part of the main hall, separated from older children, with a smaller play kitchen and furniture sized for the youngest users. This gives babies and younger toddlers their own place for pretend play while keeping them within the shared hall arrangement.

Main Area Westergate serves children aged 2 to 5 years through an open-plan, child-led space containing games, toys and role-play resources adapted to their interests. The hall's flexibility matters: children's conversations about holidays led to aeroplane-themed pretend play, turning something familiar to them into material for exploration and talk.

These are areas within a hall rather than evidence of a series of enclosed rooms. For a family choosing care for a baby, that physical arrangement is an important part of the decision.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, children explore through play, with activities adjusted to what they enjoy and need next. The child-led approach in the main area gives their interests a practical role in shaping the day.

In December 2023, staff used television characters and miniature buildings to develop imaginative play, joining children rather than leaving the resources to do the work alone. Books, songs and rhymes also featured in the day, with adults adapting their language to children's stage of development. These examples show the interaction behind the activities: conversation accompanies play.

Creative work brought tools into use. In December 2023, children cut paper plates to make seasonal wreaths, with adult help as they learnt to handle scissors. Mathematics was an improvement priority at that date, however. Families interested in how early number learning fits into play should keep that distinction in mind: engaging activities and a securely developed mathematics curriculum are separate questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outside Garden Area Westergate is fenced and contains balance bikes, slides and resources for imaginative play. Staff aim to use it across different weather conditions, so outdoor activity has a place beyond fair-weather days.

In December 2023, children also used indoor climbing equipment and rode wheeled toys outdoors. The combination offered different ways to move, climb and practise physical skills within the setting.

Across Hopscotch, each child is assigned a key worker, providing a particular adult connection within the staff team. First-aid and safeguarding training are also part of the shared staffing arrangements. These are care mechanisms, rather than substitutes for an inspection judgement.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with staff recognising additional needs and involving outside professionals. In December 2023, adults also helped children describe emotions and adjusted routines where particular situations were difficult for them. Understanding what a child finds challenging shaped the response.

Current support arrangements begin with assessing needs during settling and continued attendance, in consultation with parents. Where inclusion funding is sought, parents contribute to an action plan that is shared with West Sussex County Council for a funding decision. That gives families a defined role in planning support rather than simply receiving updates afterwards.

Communication was another part of daily practice in December 2023: staff shared information about children's learning and development with families. Opportunities for independence needed further attention at that date, because adults sometimes missed chances for children to complete tasks themselves. For parents, the useful question is how help is balanced with time to try.

Sessions and Attendance

The Westergate setting opens from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 8.30am to midday on Friday. It operates during term time, so the shorter Friday and holiday breaks are important when matching care to working arrangements.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07923058284. The address is Aldingbourne Community Centre, Olivers Meadow, Westergate, Chichester, PO20 3YA.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Universal EYFE for 3 and 4 year olds, working-family entitlements covering eligible children from 9 months, and LA Issued EYFE for 2 year olds. Funding is delivered over 38 weeks rather than stretched across the year. Eligibility remains subject to the relevant approval process.

There is no requirement to book a minimum number of funded hours or sessions, purchase extra hours or buy additional services to access funded childcare. Private additional hours can also be purchased, subject to availability. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the charge structure.

Parents supply food, including snacks and lunch, following the setting's healthy-eating and allergy policy; unsuitable or insufficient food may be replaced at a charge. For funded attendance, families can supply nappies, wipes, nappy sacks and sunscreen themselves or choose to pay for these consumables, while trips and outings are separately chargeable choices.

No deposit is charged. Withdrawal from funded sessions requires four weeks' written notice, including holidays and closures, and funded hours missed through illness or holidays cannot be carried forward. Paid sessions remain chargeable when a child is absent.

The funded-place waiting list considers age and entitlement priorities, followed by time waiting, siblings attending and proximity of home. A place requires a signed contract, with a Parent Declaration also needed for funded attendance.

• Babies within the hall. The youngest children have a quieter, separated area within the main hall. During a visit, ask about the usual baby group size and how this arrangement works during busy play and rest periods.
• Mathematics and independence. Both were improvement priorities in December 2023. Ask for examples of current number activities and everyday tasks children now undertake themselves.
• Term-time routine. Friday closes at midday, while the other weekdays run to 4.30pm. Families need a care arrangement that accommodates both the shorter day and holidays.
• Food and consumables. Parents supply food and can bring their own funded-hours consumables. Families managing allergies should confirm the current policy and how food from home is handled.

Hopscotch suits families seeking term-time early-years care, with a quieter space for the youngest children, flexible role play for older children and outdoor equipment for active play. Its funded-hours terms also suit parents who want to use their entitlement without purchasing extra hours or services.

The shared-hall arrangement deserves careful consideration for babies, while the December 2023 priorities give parents specific learning questions to pursue. The shorter Friday is equally decisive: this is a setting to choose around its actual weekly rhythm.