Kempshott Under 5's Preschool

Garden play, seasonal discovery and a key person chosen around a child's emerging bond with staff give Kempshott Under 5's Preschool its character. Based at St Marks Church in Basingstoke, it has capacity for 20 children. Its strengths are practical: space to move outdoors, learning shaped around children's interests and photographs that help parents follow the day.

At its 9 June 2026 inspection, Ofsted assessed achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and inclusion as Expected standard, while leadership and governance received Needs attention. That distinction matters. The concerns centred on pressure on staff, uncertainty over responsibilities and weaknesses in supervision and professional support, rather than a uniformly weak experience for children.

The September 2016 application form gives attendance eligibility as age two to five. Current opening hours are 8.30am to 3pm during term time. This is preschool provision that finishes in the afternoon, so its timetable needs to fit the family's wider working arrangements.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS gives the day its learning and development framework: children build communication, physical skills, independence and early understanding through play. Activities are adapted to what individual children can do and what interests them. Staff discuss children's learning together each week, using their observations to decide how to extend a familiar activity or make it more accessible.

The curriculum's Hygge in the Early Years approach places emphasis on a cosy, calming setting and emotional wellbeing. Breathing exercises in yoga and time in the Wellbeing room after lunch give that approach concrete expression. These are additions to the EYFS, rather than a replacement for it. For a child who needs help recognising a strong feeling, the emphasis includes naming emotions and support with calming down.

Literacy begins with books and play. Children can use the reading corner, act out stories with figures and use a Library basket linking preschool and home. These details connect learning with familiar routines, giving families something tangible to continue outside preschool.

In June 2026, mathematical conversation was woven into play with materials and magnifying glasses, including comparisons of size and discussion of shape and volume. Children also practised everyday independence by preparing snacks and pouring drinks. The same month's communication work had a limitation: some staff moved to another question before children had enough time to formulate an answer. Thinking time matters as much as the question itself.

Outdoor and Community Life

The main preschool room is complemented by a garden, with free movement into outdoor play forming part of the curriculum. Nature experiences include walks nearby, noticing seasonal changes and opportunities to encounter different weather. This gives outdoor time an educational purpose alongside exercise.

In June 2026, children used bicycles, tyres, wooden structures and climbing frames to practise movement and coordination. Outdoor space also helped reduce distraction: noise sometimes interrupted engagement indoors, while use of the garden and smaller room improved children's concentration. The physical layout therefore mattered to the quality of the day, not simply to the choice of activities.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with information from home. The All About Me pack captures a child's interests and needs, alongside conversations with families and setting or home visits. During the first couple of weeks, staff observe which adult the child naturally connects with before allocating a Key Carer. That makes the relationship part of the settling process rather than merely an administrative assignment.

Tapestry is the online journal used for photographs and observations of children's learning. Parents can view the entries, while practitioners use their notes and team discussions to plan subsequent play. It offers families a concrete picture of what their child has been doing and creates a basis for conversations about development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for special educational needs follows Assess, Plan, Do, Review: needs are considered, support is planned and delivered, then its effect is reviewed. A SEN Support Plan sets out provision and agreed outcomes, with parents involved in the process. The SENCO role provides a contact point, and links with professionals can include speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and paediatricians.

At the June 2026 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding standards met and described effective identification of additional needs, individual support targets and work with families and external professionals. These findings should be read alongside the management concerns. Staff wellbeing had suffered during changes in responsibilities, and supervision, coaching and mentoring had not been consistent.

June 2026 practice also included handwashing routines and conversations about healthy food choices. A further weakness concerned technology: programmable toys and screens were used too infrequently to provide consistent teaching about responsible use. School preparation was grounded in everyday capabilities, including choosing activities and managing self-care, rather than an implied advantage in school admissions.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; preschool closes at weekends and in school holidays.

The September 2016 application form offered mornings starting at 8.30am or 9am and ending at noon, or at 1pm with packed lunch. It also offered afternoons from noon to 3pm and longer days from 8.30am or 9am to 3pm. These are historical session choices. That form requested preferred days and sessions without guaranteeing first choices, and described waiting-list confirmation by email followed by contact nearer the child's eligible starting time.

Getting There

The address is St Marks Church, Homesteads Road, Basingstoke, RG22 5LQ. Applications can be made using the application form or by email, and the contact route also includes a telephone number and email form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time. The arrangements include 15 funded hours for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, eligible two-year-old funding and 30 hours for eligible families. Eligibility conditions still apply; the longer entitlement is not an automatic offer to every child.

Private hours above a child's funded allocation are invoiced separately. Invoices are issued during each of the three terms, and fees are non-refundable for absence caused by illness or holidays. The finance page explains the charging structure.

• Management and staff support. The June 2026 actions required manageable workloads and effective supervision, coaching and development by 30 June 2026. Ask what changes have been made and how responsibilities are now allocated.
• Latest compliance position. The June 2026 compliance outcome recorded that some requirements were still unmet on 9 June and directed families to the inspection actions. This is the latest published position, so a clear account of subsequent compliance matters when deciding whether to join.
• Noise and thinking time. In June 2026, indoor noise sometimes distracted children and questioning sometimes left too little time for answers. During a visit, discuss how quieter spaces and unhurried conversations are built into the day.
• Term-time timetable and extras. The afternoon finish and holiday closures need to work for your family. Ask for the proposed attendance pattern and a written breakdown of snack and consumable arrangements alongside any private hours.

Kempshott Under 5's Preschool suits families whose childcare needs fit term-time opening hours ending at 3pm. For families considering mornings, afternoons or longer preschool days, those patterns feature in the September 2016 application form; the proposed attendance pattern needs to be established before joining. Its garden, relationship-led settling and Tapestry journal give the offer clear practical appeal. The management and compliance position deserves equal weight: the June 2026 findings make subsequent action on staff support an essential part of the decision.