Fizzy Fish, Peter Gladwin

A classroom opening straight onto outdoor play gives Fizzy Fish, Peter Gladwin its character: a self-contained preschool within Peter Gladwin Primary School, with space for digging, construction and quieter play. Children aged two to four share a setting with capacity for 24. The emphasis is on learning to do things for themselves, with child-sized toilets, accessible resources and outdoor space close to hand.

At its July 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective, with children developing friendships, confidence and language through play. That judgement belongs to an earlier period of the preschool’s life. The same visit identified two teaching priorities: keeping every child involved in group activities and extending children’s understanding of people and cultures beyond their familiar experiences.

Attendance is term-time only, with half-day and school-day patterns.

Rooms and Ages

The self-contained classroom brings children’s activities together rather than dividing them into a sequence of separately named age rooms. Carpeted and lino areas accommodate construction, quieter play and messier activities; low storage units separate spaces while keeping resources close to the children. A quiet book area gives children somewhere to choose a book, alongside books stored for adults to read with them.

Three child-sized toilet cubicles and sinks, plus an area for coats and shoes, give children everyday opportunities to practise self-care and manage their belongings.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the framework for children’s learning, development and care. Here, its meaning is visible in play that combines communication, physical activity and early mathematical thinking.

In July 2021, children chose books, attempted puzzles and built elaborate block structures independently. Mathematical ideas arose through number puzzles, counting construction materials and talking about shapes. These examples show how an ordinary play resource can support several kinds of learning: a tower involves planning and handling materials as well as counting.

During that July 2021 visit, stories prompted discussion about characters and events, while songs and conversation supported language. The limitation was larger group work. Some activities continued beyond younger children’s attention spans, and routine nappy changes meant some children missed part of an activity. The practical question is whether shared activities fit the youngest children as well as the oldest.

Outdoor and Community Life

Direct outdoor access is a substantial part of the setting’s appeal. The tarmac area connects with a covered decked area for outdoor play in different weather, alongside digging, sand and water trays. A pirate ship supports imaginative play; a cosy reading space gives outdoor time a quieter option too.

Grapes, herbs and strawberries grow in the garden borders, giving children living things to observe.

In July 2021, children took part in weekly forest school sessions, exploring local wildlife and nature. This was outdoor learning through investigation and discovery. At that time, scooters, bicycles, climbing and ball games also gave children opportunities to practise balance, coordination and persistence.

Independence runs through the preschool day. Across the Fizzy Fish pre-schools, including Peter Gladwin, children help prepare tables, serve food and clear their plates; cups are individually identified, and children can refill them at the water machine. These routines give children useful jobs and opportunities to manage small tasks themselves.

Child-chosen play sits alongside invitations to adult-led activities. Picture and word labels on resources at children’s height help children choose materials; staff can give individual attention during activities.

In July 2021, children discussed their feelings, including excitement about a birthday. Staff treated children respectfully, and children included one another in pretend play and construction. Teaching needed to extend their understanding of unfamiliar communities and cultures.

The Peter Gladwin team includes a manager with SENCO responsibilities, a team leader who is a SENCO trainee, an early years educator and a lunchtime assistant. The SENCO role gives families a specific point of contact for discussing additional needs; it is an arrangement, rather than a blanket judgement about the effectiveness of support. Safeguarding and first-aid responsibilities also sit within the branch team.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Peter Gladwin Primary School, Drove Road, Portslade, BN41 2PA. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, for 38 weeks a year. School holidays fall outside this branch’s attendance calendar, and children attending Peter Gladwin cannot transfer to the other Fizzy Fish preschool for holiday care.

The booking choices include a three-hour half day, with starts at 8.30am, 8.45am or 12.15pm, and a six-hour School day, with starts at 8.30am, 8.45am, 9am or 9.15am. The minimum commitment is two sessions each week across two days.

Standalone funded attendance has its own fixed timetable. For a 30-hour entitlement, sessions run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday; for a 15-hour entitlement, they run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday. Additional sessions or hours cannot be added to this standalone arrangement. Flexible funded attendance and separately paid hours are different options.

A session enquiry form lets families specify the Peter Gladwin setting and the attendance they require. Booking involves a signed contract and a non-returnable registration charge. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. Attendance is restricted to one setting, so a plan involving another nursery or preschool would not fit these terms.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including support-based funding for eligible two-year-olds, working-parent funding for eligible two-year-olds, and the universal and working-parent entitlements for three- and four-year-olds. Peter Gladwin delivers funding during term time. Its funded hours are organised in three-hour blocks, making the relationship between entitlement and chosen sessions important.

Standalone funded sessions require a healthy packed lunch with a freezer pack; food cannot be refrigerated or reheated there. Meals provided during fully paid sessions are included in the fee, while flexible funded sessions carry a separate Consumables and Extras charge covering food costs, sun cream, Calpol and activities supplied by third-party companies.

Parents provide nappies and any formula milk. Wipes are supplied, while sun cream is covered by the separate extras charge on flexible funded sessions; that charge does not apply to fully paid sessions or paid portions of a session.

The funding and session terms also set out payment and cancellation arrangements. Contracted hours are paid in advance, and absence for illness or family holidays does not remove the payment obligation. Ending a contract or changing sessions requires at least four weeks’ notice, counted in full weeks and excluding periods when fees are not being paid.

Being within Peter Gladwin Primary School makes preparation for the next stage part of the setting’s context. Attending the preschool does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• A school-calendar commitment. Care runs for 38 weeks, and Peter Gladwin children cannot use the other Fizzy Fish preschool during holidays. On a visit, discuss how the half-day or school-day pattern would fit your working week and holiday arrangements.
• Different funded arrangements. Standalone funded sessions have fixed hours and require a packed lunch, while flexible funded sessions carry an extras charge. Request a written quotation for your chosen pattern, including what you would provide and how any dietary needs would be handled.
• Group work and wider understanding. In July 2021, some younger children lost interest during lengthy activities, while teaching needed to broaden children’s experience of communities and cultures. Ask how group activities now include children of different ages and how those wider experiences enter the day.
• One setting and a minimum pattern. The contract requires attendance across two days and excludes children attending another setting. This needs to fit the family’s childcare plan before booking, especially where care would otherwise be shared between providers.

Fizzy Fish, Peter Gladwin suits families seeking term-time preschool for a two- to four-year-old, whether through shorter half days or a six-hour school day. Its strongest current attractions are concrete: a self-contained classroom, direct outdoor access, a covered deck and spaces that encourage children to choose resources and practise self-care.

The July 2021 Good judgement sits alongside teaching concerns to explore. Holiday coverage, the one-setting rule and the choice between standalone and flexible funded attendance are central to the decision.