Come and Play Pre-School

A parent committee, a shared church-hall setting and play that moves between indoors and outdoors give Come and Play Pre-School its character. Based at Methodist Church Hall in Hazlemere, it welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has 24 places in total. Parents can participate in running the preschool as well as their own child’s experience.

At its 10 October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective. The practical strengths lie beneath that headline: familiar adults, opportunities for physical play and learning built around conversation and exploration. There were also improvements to make in staff workload support and the organisation of group activities.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and longer session choices. This is a preschool whose timetable needs to fit the family’s working week, rather than simply the child’s age.

Rooms and Ages

The main room combines a dressing-up corner, reading nook, table activities and Little World play, with changing layouts and themed features giving children different starting points for imaginative and independent activity.

Outside, rubber protective flooring sits beneath provision for ride-on toys, ball games and sensory, messy and noisy play. These are different ways to move, experiment and make discoveries. Indoor reading and table activities therefore sit alongside opportunities for more active exploration, rather than defining the whole session.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: play, relationships and everyday routines help children develop communication, physical and social skills. Come and Play’s routine starts with free play outdoors and inside, including topic activities, before snack and group learning. Letters and sounds, which introduces children to letter sounds, sits alongside songs during small-group time.

In October 2023, learning included painting at an easel and using clipboards during pretend medical play. A pet tortoise prompted discussion about hibernation and young animals. These examples show how early writing and vocabulary can grow out of an activity that already interests a child, rather than relying solely on adult-led teaching.

Group teaching needed more careful adjustment. In October 2023, some younger children lost interest during letter-sound activities that demanded more than was appropriate for their development. The improvement point concerned both timing and organisation. For parents of younger starters, the balance between shared activities and developmentally suitable play is an important part of the choice.

Outdoor and Community Life

Community experiences extend beyond the hall. During the autumn term in 2024, library visits took place weekly, combining children’s own book choices with Duplo, sensory displays, stories and songs. That frequency belongs to that term; the useful detail is the mixture of independent exploration and shared reading.

World Book Day 2024 involved dressing up, bringing favourite books and acting out stories in free play. Annual Sports Day invites parents to watch children demonstrate their sporting skills. These give families different ways to participate, through books and performance as well as physical activity.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before settling begins, and the settling plan is agreed with parents. Where possible, settling sessions match that adult’s working pattern. This gives families a clear contact and makes the introduction to preschool a planned process.

The key person completes the online Tapestry learning journal, which records children’s learning, and carries out the progress check at age two. A backup key person is identified where possible and develops a relationship gradually. Continuity is therefore part of the care arrangements, including when the main adult is absent.

In October 2023, staff used their knowledge of children’s families and home activities in conversation. Children also explored feelings through books and supporting objects, learning language for emotions such as sadness and anger. For a child learning to explain frustration or seek comfort, that emotional vocabulary matters alongside early literacy.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND arrangements have a defined route: concerns are discussed with parents and the SENCO, followed by tailored strategies or an action plan where needed. Plans specify the support, resources and people involved, with reviews agreed with parents at least termly. Healthcare plans can sit alongside these arrangements when medical interventions are required.

The SENCO attends network meetings with the Bucks Inclusion team. If a child’s needs exceed the preschool’s core funding, the arrangements include applying for inclusion funding. This gives families concrete mechanisms to discuss, rather than relying on a broad promise of inclusion.

Behaviour support also starts with understanding the child. The ABC method records what happened before a behaviour, the behaviour itself and what followed, helping staff and parents identify possible triggers. Books including Be Gentle and Say Please Louise provide starting points for discussing considerate behaviour.

Safeguarding responsibilities include a designated lead and deputy role. The staff deployment policy requires paediatric first aid cover whenever children are present, including cover within sight and sound at mealtimes. These are care arrangements, separate from the dated inspection judgement.

Sessions and Attendance

Come and Play operates during school terms. Morning choices run from 9.15am to 12.15pm or 1.15pm on weekdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays also offer afternoon attendance from 12.15pm to 2.45pm and a longer session from 9.15am to 2.45pm. Flexible attendance is supported provided it preserves continuity for the children.

The waiting list follows birth order, with other considerations including siblings, proximity and the preschool’s ability to meet individual needs. Where possible, families requesting extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays receive priority. That is a durable admissions rule, rather than a statement about spaces currently free.

Getting There

The setting operates from Methodist Church Hall on Penn Road, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, HP15 7LS. Enquiries can be made using the contact form or by telephone on 07403 547676.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and additional paid hours are offered. The funding arrangements include Universal 15 hours Early Education Funding for 3 and 4 year olds, Extended Free Entitlement and funded places for eligible two-year-olds. Delivery is term-time; the preschool can offer up to 23 hours including extended entitlement, accessed across at least three days.

Private hours are payable half-termly in advance, including during absence. The preschool participates in the Tax-free Childcare Scheme. Current prices come in the preschool’s written quotation, while the admissions and fees page explains the payment structure.

Special events and educational trips may involve extra charges, and families can decline the associated extra hours. The daily routine includes a rolling snack and lunch for children attending across lunchtime.

• Younger children’s group learning. October 2023 identified activities that were too demanding for some younger children. During a visit, ask how letter-sound groups and their timings are adapted for new two-year-old starters.
• Staff support and continuity. October 2023 also identified pressure following recruitment difficulties and a need for leaders to engage more fully with workloads. Discuss how staff support and backup key-person arrangements work together now.
• The Tuesday and Thursday pattern. Longer attendance is concentrated on these days, and extended-hour requests receive priority where possible. Compare the actual session choices with your weekly commitments before choosing a pattern.
• The whole attendance cost. Paid hours are charged in advance even during absence, while some events and trips can carry extras.

Come and Play suits families seeking term-time morning preschool, afternoon attendance or longer Tuesday and Thursday sessions, with opportunities to participate through a parent committee and shared events. Its shared play space, outdoor provision and structured key-person arrangements give the offer substance.

The decision deserves attention to the younger child’s experience of group learning and to staff continuity. Both connect directly to the October 2023 improvement points. For families whose week fits the timetable, the combination of play, personal relationships and parental involvement makes this a useful preschool to consider.