Jiminy Crickets Pre-School

An enclosed garden, countryside walks and a cricket-club setting give Jiminy Crickets Pre-School a clear outdoor character. Based at Ashford Hill Cricket Club in Thatcham, it welcomes children from 2 years to school age and has 20 places in total. Everyday independence matters here: pouring drinks and managing coats are part of learning, alongside stories, painting and play.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, with strengths in communication and personal, social and emotional development. That assessment also identified two areas needing attention: support with larger physical equipment and clearer learning intentions for themed activities. Both matter to the detail of a child's day.

Morning and afternoon sessions, with a separate Lunch Club, run during Hampshire school terms. This is a pre-school rhythm rather than an extended working-day timetable.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, including communication, physical development and relationships. At Jiminy Crickets, this takes practical forms: counting snacks introduces maths, matching shapes develops recognition, and spotting letters brings early literacy into familiar activities. These are everyday experiences rather than a timetable of formal lessons.

Creative work includes painting, building, crafting and designing. Threading and handling materials give children opportunities to practise smaller movements, while dancing, climbing and outdoor play involve their whole bodies. Storytime circles and pretend play make space for language and imagination. Group play also introduces the social business of sharing resources, taking turns and recognising feelings.

In May 2023, stories reached children through reading, signing and acting them out with props. Staff listened to children's ideas and responded in conversation, rather than relying solely on adult instructions. For a parent weighing the learning offer, those are useful examples of how language was woven into play.

The same May 2023 assessment found that themes did not always have sufficiently precise learning aims. Activities could support other skills, including maths, while leaving the knowledge intended for the topic less clear. An engaging activity and a clear educational purpose need to work together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed garden supplies outdoor space at the setting, while countryside walks extend exploration beyond it. Bug finding, nature walks and watching seasonal changes give children concrete things to discuss and investigate. The cricket-club address is part of its identity; the garden and walks explain what that outdoor emphasis means in practice.

In May 2023, staff taught children to use balance bikes, but support with other large equipment was less consistent. Some children stepped away from those activities or stopped trying. The improvement point was therefore about helping children participate and develop skills, rather than simply providing equipment.

Community occasions add another dimension. In December 2025, the Christmas Nativity featured The Bossy King Nativity at St Pauls church, Ashford Hill, bringing a performance into a local venue. The July 2026 calendar included a Leavers Trip (School Leavers Only) and Graduation For School Leavers, with the graduation held at Ashford Hill Church. These were dated events, giving school leavers a marked ending to their pre-school time rather than establishing an ongoing admissions link.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2023, settling routines were adjusted for children who found the move from home difficult, with parents involved in working out what helped. Staff also used conversations with families to build a picture of children's development. At that inspection, Ofsted found that this cooperation supported assessment and additional help, and that extra funding was used effectively to support children's learning and participation.

Daily routines offered opportunities to practise independence in May 2023, including doing more for themselves at snack time. The current day continues to include manageable self-care tasks such as pouring drinks and putting on coats. For families, the practical value is that independence has a place in ordinary routines, alongside play and planned activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staff structure includes a SENCo and Curriculum Lead, a Specialist 1-1 and Healthy Eating Lead, and designated safeguarding lead roles. These identify responsibilities within the team without turning a job title into a promise about an individual child's support.

A volunteer parent committee manages the pre-school and works with staff on resources, funding, events and future planning. This gives parental involvement an organisational role as well as a place in conversations about children. Families considering the setting may value that community connection, especially if they want to contribute to the life of the pre-school.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Ashford Hill Cricket Club, Chapel Lane, Ashford Hill, Thatcham, RG19 8BE. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during Hampshire school terms.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; Lunch Club occupies noon to 1pm; afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 3pm. A minimum of two sessions each week is recommended to help children settle. It is a recommendation, rather than a compulsory booking minimum, which leaves an important distinction for families planning attendance.

Visits can be arranged using the enquiry form. The calendar also includes school holidays and inset closures: for example, the pre-school closed for an Inset Day on 22 July 2026. Term-time attendance requires a separate plan for those breaks.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible working families, with up to 15 hours per week over 38 weeks for children from 2 years onwards. This is a term-time entitlement offer, with eligibility attached to the family rather than guaranteed by a child's age alone.

Private childcare is also offered. Payments can be made weekly, half-termly or termly, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The different payment intervals concern when families pay; they do not change the session timetable.

• Physical confidence and purposeful learning. The May 2023 improvement points concerned help with larger equipment and clearer aims for themed activities. During a visit, ask how staff now support hesitant children outdoors and explain what a current topic is intended to teach.
• Term-time family routines. Morning and afternoon sessions finish within a 9am to 3pm opening day, with school-holiday and inset closures. This timetable needs to fit the family's wider care arrangements.
• Lunch and everyday supplies. With a separate Lunch Club in the timetable, ask what families provide and how food and consumables are charged, including during funded hours.

Jiminy Crickets suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school sessions within the school-term calendar, with Lunch Club as a separate part of the day. Its enclosed garden, countryside walks and emphasis on everyday independence give the offer substance, while the parent committee adds a direct community connection.

The May 2023 Good judgement is useful context, alongside its specific strengths and improvement points. The decision rests on whether this compact pre-school timetable, outdoor activity and play-based learning fit the child and the family's week.