Rising Fives Pre School

Woodland outings and a parent-run committee give Rising Fives Pre School its character. Children can choose between indoor playrooms and an outdoor area, while Little Explorers trips take learning into Whitchurch’s parks, shops and local woodland. This is preschool life with a connection to the surrounding town.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Rising Fives Good overall. The setting accepts children from age two until they start school and has 45 places in total. It operates as a charity, with parents helping to make decisions through a voluntary management committee rather than simply attending events.

Attendance follows Hampshire school terms. The daily session runs from 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, with five staff-training closure days each year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, with activities shaped around children’s interests and development. Children select or devise some activities themselves, alongside adult-led group activities. That gives the day both individual choice and shared experiences: pursuing an interest is part of learning, as is joining other children.

Free play runs alongside snack time, followed by tidying, stories and singing. Children identify their own name on a magnetic board at the start of a session. At snack time, they practise practical tasks such as spreading butter, pouring drinks and washing their cup and plate. Independence has a place in the ordinary routine.

In February 2023, children counted food portions at snack time and used number recognition in a practical context. Group singing included signing, and circle-time conversations gave children opportunities to listen and take turns. These activities connected early mathematics and communication with things children were already doing.

Language teaching was the important qualification to that picture. In February 2023, some practitioners extended vocabulary through questions during play, but staff understanding of the communication aims varied. Language support consequently lacked consistency across activities. Strengthening that shared understanding was the improvement required, rather than introducing an entirely different curriculum.

Outdoor and Community Life

Little Explorers is the name for outings into the local area, including woodland, parks, shops and businesses. It extends children’s experiences beyond the playrooms and outdoor area, giving them opportunities to explore the community where they live. Parents can help with these trips.

Outdoor play continues throughout the year. Weather-appropriate clothing and named wellies are part of the practical preparation, with water play among the outdoor activities. Indoors, a quieter, more sheltered space for books, learning and relaxation had been created by February 2023 following staff training about behaviour. That dated detail matters: it shows how the layout was being adapted to children’s needs at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with at least three stay-and-play sessions, with additional sessions offered according to how the child adjusts. Familiarity is built gradually. Each family then has a key person who works with parents and follows the child’s learning, including conversations about medical, dietary and additional needs.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, carries updates and reports and allows parents to contribute photographs or observations from home. An annual parent consultation provides a planned discussion, while meetings can also be arranged when concerns arise. A weekly newsletter covers activities, topics, the week’s rhyme and event dates; the notice board also describes activities and snacks. Families therefore have several ways to follow the day, rather than relying on a single formal report.

In February 2023, feedback from stay-and-play sessions had prompted work with parents on reducing screen time and developing play skills. This was a concrete example of home conversations influencing activities within the preschool.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including attention to how environmental changes affected children and the use of signing by some staff. Those are dated findings about practice, rather than a promise about every child’s experience today.

The team includes a SENCO role, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. Staff hold first-aid certificates and safeguarding qualifications, and the team’s qualification statement identifies NVQIII. Parents can discuss their child’s needs with the key person, giving those roles a practical connection to family communication.

School preparation includes visits to schools and invitations for teachers to meet children at Rising Fives. Meeting adults and settings involved in the next stage gives transition work a concrete form.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at Fairclose, Wells Lane, Whitchurch, RG28 7FG; its contact address also identifies the premises as the Old School Canteen. Sessions run from 9am to 3.30pm on weekdays during Hampshire school terms, excluding five annual staff-training days. This is a term-time attendance pattern, so holiday care needs separate planning.

Joining involves returning an application form for the waiting list, followed by a call before the child’s intended start. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01256 893708 or by email at rising.fives@btinternet.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour entitlement for eligible three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, funding for qualifying two-year-olds, and Working Parent extended funding of up to 30 hours for those entitled. Additional hours beyond the applicable funded allowance are charged privately; there are no activity charges or top-up fees. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen hours.

Lunch is supplied by parents, and nappies and wipes must also come from home where needed, including wipes during toilet training. Snacks are provided during sessions, with donations of snack items welcomed. Packed lunches need cooling with ice blocks because lunch refrigeration is unavailable; the preschool asks families to exclude nut-containing products and to tell staff about any allergy.

Rising Fives describes strong links with Whitchurch Primary School and transition work with other local schools. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time routine. Weekday sessions run from 9am to 3.30pm, with five annual training-day closures. This suits a school-term schedule; year-round childcare requires a separate arrangement.
• Language teaching. Consistency in vocabulary support was the February 2023 improvement point. During a visit, ask how practitioners now share communication aims and use them during play.
• A gradual start. At least three stay-and-play sessions are provided, with more if needed. Consider how your family can make time for that settling process.
• Lunch and allergies. Parents supply packed lunches and keep them chilled, and the preschool asks for nut-containing foods to be excluded. Allergy-affected families should confirm current arrangements for snacks, messy play and visiting pets.

Rising Fives suits families seeking term-time preschool with child-led play, local outings and an active role for parents. Little Explorers and Tapestry give the offer practical substance: children explore their town, and families can contribute to the account of their learning.

The February 2023 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark, while the language-teaching improvement deserves attention. The clearest fit is for families who value a gradual settling process and can work with the weekday session schedule, packed-lunch routine and school-holiday closures.