Tadley Under Fives Pre-school

A fairy garden made in a recycled bath tub gives Tadley Under Fives Pre-school a memorable starting point: in March 2024, children helped shape the outdoor space and used their creation for imaginary stories. Their ideas had a practical place in the day.

At its 12 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and found its safeguarding arrangements effective. It has capacity for 30 children at Community Centre, Newchurch Road, Tadley, RG26 4HN; the children attending in March 2024 were aged two to four.

In March 2024, activities followed children's interests: painting a dinosaur model became an opportunity to explore texture and learn the names of its body parts. Books prompted conversations about children's own experiences, while familiar songs connected learning with outdoor play. These were concrete ways to bring language into activities children had chosen.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for learning, development and care. Here, the March 2024 examples show what that meant in practice: conversation, imaginative play, movement and opportunities to try things independently.

Outdoors that month, children experimented with different jumps in puddles and practised balance on equipment. Morning yoga sessions involved listening to instructions and making poses together. Pouring sand between containers gave them another kind of physical practice, using the small muscles of their hands.

In March 2024, settling was tailored to each child, helping new starters develop relationships with staff. Independence also had everyday expression: children tried fastening their coats before seeking help. The emphasis was on having a go, with assistance still within reach.

Communication with families included discussions about children's needs and development, alongside ideas for activities at home. This gave parents practical ways to connect home experiences with the pre-school day.

There was an important limitation in March 2024: staff sometimes supplied answers before children had time to work out a solution. Disagreements also drew adults away from other interactions, leaving quieter children with fewer opportunities for individual attention. Those details matter alongside the imaginative activities.

The setting operates at Community Centre, Newchurch Road, Tadley, RG26 4HN. In March 2024, its opening hours were 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

That month, it received funding for free early education for two-year-olds and was eligible to receive it for children aged three and four. These are dated arrangements, rather than a promise about a family's entitlement or present attendance pattern.

• Teaching that stretches each child. In March 2024, adults did not consistently build activities around what individual children could already do. Ask how staff now give children time to think and extend their learning.
• Disagreements and quieter children. In March 2024, older children needed more help to work through small conflicts themselves, and repeated adult intervention interrupted attention to others. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how both needs are balanced.
• Term-time planning. The March 2024 opening pattern followed term time. Which current attendance arrangements would fit your family's week and holidays?

Tadley Under Fives suits families drawn to the imaginative outdoor play, practical independence and activities shaped by children's interests described in March 2024. The March 2024 picture combines a child-created fairy garden and morning yoga with clear priorities for teaching and conflict resolution. It will especially interest families considering a term-time pre-school routine, with that attendance pattern understood as the March 2024 position.