Harting Village Preschool Group

Village-hall play, a garden for getting muddy and small acts of independence give Harting Village Preschool Group its character. Children can tackle an obstacle course and choose when to pause for a snack. The emphasis is on doing things for themselves, with stories, movement and conversation woven through the day.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and found safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside two practical improvement priorities: more consistent communication support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and better use of play to stretch learning. Both deserve attention alongside the strengths.

The preschool has 27 places in total and welcomes children from 18 months until they begin school. Its home is Harting Village Hall in South Harting, near Petersfield. Attendance is term-time, with morning and afternoon sessions alongside flexible hours on four weekdays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, relationships and activities that develop language, movement and independence. Adults join planned and child-initiated play, with indoor and outdoor choices.

Hall activities include ride-on toys, tunnels, large blocks and parachute games. The smaller room accommodates whiteboard drawing, cooking, music and group games, giving children different spaces for movement and quieter activities.

At 11am, children tidy up before songs, rhymes and musical PE. Older and younger children then separate for stories and hall activities suited to their stages of development.

In October 2024, children used objects gathered on a nature walk in their dough play and talked about what they remembered seeing. Outdoors became material for conversation indoors. Younger children joined singing activities, while older children heard more demanding stories; books also prompted discussion of unfamiliar words.

Independence had a practical form that October. Children made decisions, helped clean their crockery and practised personal care. Older children demonstrated routines to younger ones, and balancing along beams involved agreeing which direction everyone would travel. These small tasks gave children opportunities to cooperate as well as develop physical confidence.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is part of the learning space. In October 2024, children could choose between outside and inside during extended periods of play. Outdoors also brought everyday expectations, including putting on boots, so children practised managing the equipment and clothing needed for their activities.

Mud is a substantial part of Harting's outdoor story. In September 2024, Wednesday play in the mud garden included combining water and earth to create puddles. Waterproof clothing mattered, and families could borrow waterproofs, taking them home for washing when necessary. For children who enjoy hands-on exploration, this is a concrete example of what outdoor play has involved here.

The annual living eggs project adds another kind of observation. A February 2023 announcement described plans to hatch ducklings, giving children a direct encounter with life cycles. In February 2024, families were invited to celebrate World book day in March with favourite stories or dressing up, with book tokens planned for children. Costumes were a choice, rather than a requirement.

Fundraising at Harting Festivities and the Christmas Fayre connects the preschool with village life. Parents can help raise funds, share a skill or read with children.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person supports settling, observes development and maintains their profile, giving parents a clear contact for progress discussions.

Learning journals combine photographs, observations and work, with term-end summaries of development, interests and next steps. Parents can review them. Half-term newsletters outline learning themes; committee emails cover events and fundraising.

The proud cloud connects achievements at home with preschool life. In March 2024, parents could record a new skill on a cloud for staff to celebrate with the child during the day. Getting dressed independently or helping tidy at home could become something to share with friends. It gives families a simple contribution that goes beyond receiving a progress report.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A designated SENCO provides a route for coordinating support for special educational needs and disabilities. At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND made progress with support plans, but recommended communication strategies, including signing, were used inconsistently, and some staff needed to do more to extend learning during play. The issue was how reliably support and teaching were put into practice.

Children do not need to be toilet trained before starting. Staff help with the process, while parents supply wipes, nappies and changes of clothes and share how training is progressing. Families also provide labelled sun cream. These arrangements make the division of responsibility clear before a child begins.

Medical information belongs on the registration forms, including allergies. Giving medication requires written parental permission, and prescribed medicines brought in for use during the day must be labelled. Collection arrangements include an agreed password when someone other than the usual carer collects a child, giving families a specific procedure to follow when plans change.

Snacks include fruit, vegetables, crackers or toast, with milk or water; children staying through lunch bring a packed meal with an ice pack. The preschool's lunchbox policy asks families to exclude nuts.

Preparation for school includes early reading and number activities. During the summer term, children moving to Harting Primary school are taken on a familiarisation visit, and Reception staff from local schools are invited to meet children and share stories or activities. These are opportunities to become acquainted with future adults and surroundings, rather than an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Harting Village Hall, Peasecroft, South Harting, Near Petersfield, GU31 5LB. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during school terms. Thursday is a closed day, as are bank holidays falling within term time. Families needing care across every weekday will need to consider that pattern carefully.

Typical morning sessions run from 8.30am to noon; afternoons run from noon to 3pm. Flexible hours can also be agreed within the opening window. Paid sessions are arranged term by term, and changes to attendance are preferably made at the beginning of a half-term. That flexibility remains subject to space in the requested session.

The contact form handles enquiries. An Expression of Interest form records the child's date of birth and preferred sessions; the interest list follows birth-date order.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 Hours Free Childcare, 30 Hours Free Childcare for eligible families and free entitlement for eligible two-year-olds. The 15-hour entitlement begins in the term after a child's third birthday. Provision follows the term-time attendance pattern; eligibility for funding and agreeing a child's sessions are separate matters.

Private hours are also offered. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, and the fees and admissions page explains the charging arrangements. Invoices are issued at the start of a term, with payment either then or half-termly; booked sessions remain chargeable during a family holiday in term time.

There are no additional consumables or activity fees, although voluntary contributions may be requested for snacks and trips. Parents provide lunch, nappies, wipes and sun cream, so the absence of an extra consumables charge does not mean these items are supplied. A deposit is credited against the first invoice when the child starts, but children attending solely through Free Entitlement hours do not require one.

• The four-day timetable. Thursday closure and term-time attendance shape the whole offer. Use a visit to discuss how the morning, afternoon or flexible pattern would fit your family.
• Communication support. October 2024 brought a specific concern about inconsistent signing and other recommended strategies. Families whose children need this support should ask how practitioners now maintain consistency across sessions.
• Stretching learning. Some interactions in October 2024 stopped at commenting on play rather than developing it. Ask for an example of how staff extend a child's idea or challenge an older preschool child today.
• Settling and medical needs. Parent-and-child familiarisation visits can be arranged, and parents may remain during a session if their child is distressed. Use that time to discuss any allergy, medication or personal-care arrangements your child needs.

Harting suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, afternoons or flexible hours, with hall activities, outdoor play and opportunities to practise independence.

The October 2024 Good judgement sits alongside concerns about consistent communication support and extending play. Thursday closure and packed lunches are practical considerations; key-person contact, learning journals and parent participation give families ways to stay involved.