Pound Hill Pre-School

A community-centre hall, a garden used across the seasons and parents involved in running the charity give Pound Hill Pre-School its character. This is a preschool built around play and family participation, with individual interests shaping activities and a key person linking each child's learning with home.

Based at Pound Hill Community Centre in Crawley, it welcomes children aged two to four and has 45 places in total. At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest practical details are its individual settling arrangements, communication with families and routes to additional support.

Opening hours are 8.30am to 2.30pm on weekdays during term time. That calendar is central to the choice: families need an arrangement that fits the preschool day and school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play, communication and growing independence forming part of the day. Activities are planned around observations of each child rather than a single set of next steps for everyone. The Learning Journal connects those observations with future planning, giving parents a way to follow what their child is working towards.

In September 2022, children examined plants with magnifiers, experimented with bubbles and practised hand control by threading card onto pipe cleaners. These examples show the connection between apparently simple play and early skills: looking closely, asking questions and preparing hands for writing. Tooth models, brushes and toothpaste also brought dental health into imaginative play.

That month's account included children putting away their own belongings and managing familiar routines. Independence had practical expression. Older children used the toilet themselves, while handwashing formed part of personal care.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is used throughout the year, including in changing weather. Suitable footwear and clothes that can withstand messy play therefore matter; aprons are supplied, and families can choose uniform or older clothes. Outdoor activity is part of the preschool's everyday offer rather than an occasional fair-weather addition.

In September 2022, outdoor experiences included moving through a tunnel and balancing along beams. However, planning did not consistently extend younger children's learning outside. Another improvement point concerned helping children understand people whose lives and backgrounds differed from their own. Both points matter alongside the appealing examples of investigation and physical play.

Fundraising supports purchases of equipment and resources, as well as larger projects. During the 2024–2025 fundraising cycle, the Spring Fundraiser combined a woodland clue hunt with crafts and a cuddly toy for children to adopt. It illustrates how family events contribute to the preschool's resources; it is a past event rather than a future diary commitment.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person who observes their development and discusses next steps with parents. The Welcome Pack and All about Me section of the learning journals begin that exchange, bringing information from home into planning. Play visits take place in the weeks before a child starts, and settling arrangements are shaped with each family.

Communication continues through access to an online Learning Journal and regular discussions with the key person. Famly carries updates about activities during morning and afternoon sessions, while newsletters are issued each half term. This gives families both a picture of daily experiences and opportunities to discuss their own child's development.

Parents also have a role beyond receiving updates. The preschool is managed by a volunteer and parent committee, with families welcome at termly meetings. Committee participation and fundraising are practical ways to contribute to how the setting operates and the resources children use.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCO and manager work with families and other professionals to establish support needs, with Play Plans or Individual Educational Plans used where appropriate. Observations guide those decisions, and parental consent is sought before external referrals. Speech and Language therapists' reports inform language support; inclusion funding can also be sought from West Sussex County Council for individual children.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that assessment and work with external agencies helped children with SEND receive support and continue progressing. During that month, picture prompts and signing supported communication, including for children learning English as an additional language, while books and conversations helped children explore feelings and behaviour.

Physical access includes a wheelchair-accessible main hall, an accessible toilet and a ramp connecting the rear doors to the garden. Visual timetables support understanding of routines, and language books are shared with families. These are concrete arrangements to consider alongside an individual child's needs.

Care routines, including nappy changing, are discussed before starting. Prescribed medicines can be administered after the necessary form is completed; where staff need additional training, a child cannot start until that training is finished. Collection arrangements include notifying staff about a different collector and using a password.

In September 2022, snacks included fresh vegetables and fruit, with healthy eating part of children's learning.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Pound Hill Community Centre, Worth Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 7EP. The preschool opens Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 2.30pm, during term time only. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

A registration form can be returned by email or in person. Children remain on the waiting list until their family withdraws the request or they reach school age. This is a continuing registration-of-interest arrangement, rather than a promise of a place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid hours are offered. Funding includes Nursery Education funding from the term after a child's third birthday, additional hours for eligible families bringing the total to 30 hours, Local Authority funding for eligible two-year-olds and working families two-year funding. Attendance is term-time, so this offer needs to fit the family's calendar as well as its eligibility.

Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. Optional uniform consists of a T-shirt and sweatshirt; older clothes are also suitable for messy activities.

For the move to school, staff arrange visits involving children and local schools, along with teachers visiting the preschool. Children's next steps are shared when they move to another setting, helping the receiving adults understand their learning and support needs.

• Outdoor learning and wider perspectives. September 2022 improvement points covered younger children's learning outdoors and understanding differences between people. During a show round, ask for examples of how both now shape activities.
• The term-time day. Opening ends at 2.30pm and follows term time. Consider how that fits working hours and holiday care before choosing it.
• Individual access and medical care. The hall, garden ramp and accessible toilet provide useful physical arrangements, while additional medication training must be completed before a child starts. Discuss the child's particular access and care routines during settling.
• The full cost of attendance. Funded and privately paid hours sit alongside a choice of uniform or older clothes. Request a written quotation covering the intended attendance and how food and non-food consumables are handled.

Pound Hill Pre-School suits families seeking term-time preschool within a community charity, with a day ending at 2.30pm and opportunities to participate through committee work and fundraising. Its key-person arrangements, family communication and individual support mechanisms give the choice substance.

The September 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference. The outdoor-planning and wider-world improvement points deserve attention alongside it. For families whose calendar fits, the hall-and-garden setting and personal settling process make this a practical option to explore.