The Barn Pre-School

In October 2021, bird feeders, bicycles and building with real bricks gave The Barn Pre-School a practical, outdoors-minded character. Its current outdoor space includes imaginative play, sensory exploration and learning about nature, with children choosing activities according to their interests. This is a preschool where the garden is part of the learning environment.

Based at The Barn Church in Crawley, the setting has 21 places in total and offers preschool care for children aged two to five. At its October 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities positively. Those findings are dated: they describe the care observed then.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing together play, communication, physical development and growing independence. Here, the current outdoor environment gives children space to explore those areas through sensory activities, imaginative play and investigating nature. Children can pursue their own interests rather than all taking part in the same activity.

In October 2021, children's interests shaped the curriculum. Staff extended conversations during play, including discussing the texture and colour of sand used in a picture. Pretend tea parties became opportunities to exchange ideas about food and drink. These examples show how an ordinary activity could become a language-rich conversation rather than a task to finish.

Number work was similarly practical at that time. Children counted fruit at snack time, considered candles for a cake and explored quantities while pouring water. Mathematical ideas had a purpose children could understand.

The garden also supported cooperation and physical practice in October 2021. Children transported bricks in wheelbarrows, worked together on a tower and considered how to keep it stable. Bicycle play involved steering around obstacles, while filling bird feeders prompted discussion about birds and caring for them. These were hands-on experiences, combining movement with thinking and conversation.

Current staff roles include a SENCO, a deputy SENCO and a designated child protection officer, alongside paediatric first aid responsibilities. These give families identifiable roles for discussing additional needs and welfare concerns. The team also undertakes continuing professional development.

In October 2021, children approached staff for comfort and invited them into their play. Adults helped children practise sharing and taking turns, using consistent responses rather than expecting these social skills to develop unaided. Staff also exchanged information with other professionals, and additional funding supported changes to the outdoor environment and resources for individual children.

Independence was built into everyday routines at that time. Children practised pouring drinks, cutting fruit, washing hands and blowing their noses. They grew and harvested fruit and vegetables, connecting healthy eating with something they had cared for themselves. Staff sat with children during meals and snacks, making eating a shared, conversational part of the day.

Parents' partnerships with staff in October 2021 covered settling and preparation for the next stage of education. Regular staff supervision and online training also formed part of the working arrangements then. These are useful examples of how care and learning were organised, rather than promises about today's staffing deployment.

The address is The Barn Church, Francis Edwards Way, Crawley, RH11 8GH. Families can contact the preschool by mobile telephone or email. Joining its waiting list involves downloading an application form, completing it and returning it; that is a booking process, not an indication of vacancies.

In October 2021, opening hours were 9am to 2.30pm on weekdays during school terms. The same inspection-time account recorded funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These details describe the arrangements at that date and should not be treated as a current attendance or funding quotation.

The outdoor area is accessible throughout the year. That describes the garden's use, rather than establishing that the preschool operates through school holidays.

• Individual learning plans. In October 2021, Ofsted asked staff to identify children's next learning steps more accurately so that development could move forward faster. At a visit, ask how staff now choose and review those individual steps.
• Attendance and funding. The October 2021 arrangements combined term-time opening with funded early education. What attendance patterns and funded entitlements can the preschool offer your family now?
• Address details. The contact address uses RH11 8GG, while the setting's address above uses RH11 8GH. Use The Barn Church and Francis Edwards Way as the common address details when arranging a visit.

The Barn suits families drawn to a preschool day built around children's interests, outdoor exploration and practical independence. Its current garden gives that character a clear physical setting; the October 2021 examples add substance through bicycle play, bird care and collaborative building.

The dated Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, balanced by a specific improvement point about individual learning steps. For parents, the decision rests on both the appeal of that play-led environment and how the preschool explains its present arrangements for their child's learning and attendance.