St Barnabas Pre-School

Space to move between indoor play and the outdoors gives St Barnabas Pre-School a clear character. Based at St Barnabas Church Hall in Queens Park, Bournemouth, it serves children aged two to four and has 38 places in total. Its free-flow arrangement lets children use both environments, making outdoor exploration part of the session rather than a separate occasional activity.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 13 January 2023, with the organisation of changes between activities identified as the improvement priority. That balance matters: there is a positive overall judgement, alongside a specific question about how children receive support when their day changes pace.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day patterns, plus earlier starts. The educational emphasis is on children's interests, while a continuing key person connects their learning with family knowledge. For parents choosing preschool provision, those are useful practical foundations: flexible session choices and an individual point of contact.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the day through play that develops language, relationships, movement and early understanding of the world. It is the common early-years framework; the setting's own Child Led Learning approach puts children's interests into decisions about resources and activities. Adults support that play, rather than leaving children to work everything out alone.

Planning also has an individual rhythm. Observations inform next steps each half-term, so the learning plan can change as a child's interests and development change. This gives families something more useful than a general description of progress: a sequence of particular things their child is working towards.

In January 2023, language learning included acting out The Three Billy Goats Gruff with props and using positional words to describe the goats. Play dough also became an opportunity to introduce unfamiliar vocabulary. These examples show how a familiar story or a practical activity can become a conversation, with words attached to something children are doing.

Physical development was similarly practical in January 2023. Children operated spray bottles and painted an outdoor fence with brushes, exercising their hands through play. Pretend firefighting introduced the idea of calling for emergency help. The examples are small, but concrete: movement, imagination and language were connected within ordinary activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The indoor and outdoor spaces work together through free-flow access. That arrangement suits children who want to carry an interest outside, or alternate between more active exploration and indoor play. The outdoor area is part of the learning environment, rather than simply somewhere to expend energy.

Walks and local outings also form part of the activities covered by the subsistence charge. They extend experiences beyond the preschool itself, alongside cooking, craft and messy play. The charge structure needs its own consideration, however, especially for families using funded hours.

Relationships and Communication

The Key Person Approach gives each child a continuing adult contact throughout their time at the preschool. That practitioner brings together the child's interests, developmental milestones and the family's perspective when planning individual support. The practical benefit is continuity: parents have someone who knows how their child is learning, rather than having to explain everything afresh.

Families can access photographs and written observations through an online portal. Together with the half-termly next steps, this creates a connection between what happens during sessions and what parents see at home. The learning journey is maintained by the key person, keeping communication tied to the person responsible for that child's individual learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SEND team works with families, and children with additional needs have regular Individual Learning Plans. These are specific support mechanisms, rather than a general promise of inclusion. Families whose children need additional help should consider how the plan will translate into their chosen session pattern.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described SEND support involving parents, staff and external agencies, including picture exchange to help children communicate. That is a dated assessment of practice, separate from the current arrangements for individual plans.

The medication policy requires written permission for each medicine at each session; longer-term medical needs are discussed with management and may require additional training and risk assessments. Accident procedures include written records and a parental signature at collection, giving families a documented account of incidents affecting their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St Barnabas Church Hall, Mount Pleasant Drive, Queens Park, Bournemouth, BH8 9JN. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email, and visits can be arranged.

Morning Session runs from 8.45am to 12.30pm. Morning Session (Stretched) finishes at 1.45pm, with collection between 1.30pm and 1.45pm; Afternoon Session runs from 1pm to 4pm. Full Day Session is 8.45am to 4pm, and both afternoon and full-day bookings allow collection between 3.30pm and 4pm.

Earlier attendance comes through Breakfast Club, from 8am to 8.45am, or Early Start Club, from 8.30am to 8.45am. Sessions can be booked flexibly, with a flexible morning drop-off window. These options give families several ways to fit preschool around their day, although the term-time calendar remains the defining limit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded 15/30 hours places are offered alongside paid childcare. Attendance is term-time; the Morning Session (Stretched) label refers to that session's later finish. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

The termly subsistence charge contributes towards online journals, cooking, craft, messy-play materials, walks and local outings. Its level depends on attendance hours, and payment is made in advance at the beginning of the school year or term; paying it is not a condition of taking a funded 15/30 hours place. Families can discuss the charge if it would prevent attendance.

A deposit is required for a preschool booking and is refunded on leaving provided four weeks' written notice has been given, either against the final invoice or in cash. The prices and sessions page sets out these terms.

• Changes between activities. In January 2023, some children needed more help to stay involved during transitions, with an effect on behaviour. During a visit, ask how staff now support those moments, especially if your child finds changes difficult.
• Term-time attendance. The preschool closes during school holidays. Morning, afternoon and full-day choices offer flexibility within the term, but families needing year-round childcare must account for the holiday periods.
• Funded-place extras. The subsistence charge covers activities and resources but is not a condition of a funded place. One useful joining question is what meals and personal consumables arrangements would apply to your child's booking.

St Barnabas suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting full days during term time. Free-flow outdoor access, interest-led play and a continuing key person give its offer substance. The January 2023 transition concern deserves attention, particularly for children who need extra help moving between activities. The strongest fit is with families who value individual learning plans and session flexibility within a school-term calendar.