Tots Pre School

A large playground, a sensory room and practical links with neighbouring family services give Tots Pre School a clear character: play outdoors, with individual support woven into the day. This community-run preschool sits within the grounds of the Bewbush Academy in Crawley. Parents can contribute through its committee, fundraising and volunteering, making family involvement part of how the setting works.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Tots Pre School Good and judged safeguarding effective. There is capacity for 68 children in total; the children attending in April 2025 were aged 2 to 4. That age range describes the inspection cohort rather than a current admission rule.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions give families several ways to organise attendance. The strongest reasons to consider Tots are its accessible building, practical SEND arrangements and opportunities for children to learn outside. The teaching points raised in April 2025 deserve equal attention, especially for families prioritising speech and language development.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides planning through children's interests, routines and play, with activities adapted to individual needs. A key worker's journal combines photographs and written observations, giving parents examples of their child's experiences and helping staff decide what to teach next.

In April 2025, children explored a digging area in the garden and searched for bugs. They showed their discoveries to staff, examined the insects and talked about what they had found. The activity connected outdoor play with learning about the natural world. Children could choose experiences indoors or outside, and staff adjusted the environment to keep it useful for learning.

In April 2025, an external company ran sports activities to address children's need to develop attention. Responding to the coaches gave children listening practice while building coordination: movement served a specific learning purpose.

Teaching was less consistent in extending conversations. During April 2025, adults sometimes supplied answers before children had enough opportunity to think for themselves; questioning did not always draw out children's ideas. New vocabulary was introduced during adult-led activities, but children using comforters were sometimes left unable to contribute verbally at group times. These details matter more than a broad claim about learning through play: the adult's response determines how far an interesting activity takes a child's thinking.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large secure playground complements the indoor play space. For a child who prefers being outside, this is a substantial part of the offer rather than an occasional outing. The building also has access to a field through its front ramp, connecting the accessibility arrangements with outdoor participation.

Community involvement extends beyond fundraising. Parents can help with activities, accompany children on trips and contribute ideas through committee meetings. Tots also attends plays and arranged sessions at the Bewbush Academy. Those experiences introduce children to a school setting while keeping their preschool day rooted in familiar adults and relationships.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is agreed with each family. Parents may remain for play sessions while staff learn about their child's interests, routines and preferences. An introductory information sheet helps the key worker prepare familiar toys or resources. This gives settling a practical starting point: staff can use something the child already enjoys, rather than relying on a single method for everyone.

The key worker is also a continuing contact for parents. Families can speak with that adult or the SENCO, and progress information can be viewed on request or at six-weekly intervals. Two-year progress checks are reviewed every six weeks, with subsequent learning planned from them. Photographs, observations and conversations provide several ways to understand a child's experience, rather than leaving communication to a brief account of the day's activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support begins with observation and discussion with parents. Where appropriate, an ILPP, an individual learning and provision plan, sets out the child's support after conversations with the family and external professionals. Activities are adapted around interests and needs, and professionals can work with children within the preschool with parental permission. This makes the support process tangible: identify a need, agree a plan and revisit it together.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised delays promptly and worked with families and other agencies to support children's progress. The current arrangements include two SENCO/INCO staff who attend network meetings, alongside staff training in first aid and behaviour management. These are mechanisms for organising support, rather than a promise that every child's needs will be met in the same way.

The sensory room gives children somewhere quieter to rest, with sensory toys available. Picture aids on the I want board allow children to communicate choices, and staff also use visual pictures for children with language difficulties or more than one language. For children who cannot readily explain what they need in words, these resources provide another route to participation.

Accessibility is concrete. The single-level building has two ramps, at the front and rear, and a mobility toilet inside. Staff support nappy changing and toilet routines, and arrangements exist for trained staff to administer medication. These details help families think about how their child will use the setting throughout the day, including movement between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm, and a full day from 9am to 3.15pm. The application form offers these choices for Monday through Friday, so families can identify the pattern they want rather than applying against an opening window alone.

Submitting the registration form puts a child on the waiting list; it does not secure a place. Tots contacts families when a suitable place becomes available. In April 2025, the preschool operated on weekdays during term time, opening from 9am to 3.15pm. The term-time arrangement matters for families planning childcare across school holidays.

Getting There

The contact address is c/o The Bewbush Academy, Dorsten Place, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 8XW. Telephone, email and an online contact form provide enquiry routes.

Next door, Bewbush children’s family centres provide speech and language drop-in sessions, health visitors and outreach workers. Tots can liaise with outside professionals with parental consent, making the neighbouring services relevant to families already receiving support or discussing a child's development.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children aged 2, 3 and 4. The arrangements include the local-authority-issued entitlement for eligible two-year-olds, universal funding for three- and four-year-olds, and working-family funding subject to eligibility. The services and prices page explains the application routes: parents apply for the two-year-old entitlement and working-family support, while the preschool applies for universal three- and four-year-old funding on their behalf. Private sessions are also offered; obtain current prices in a written quotation.

School preparation includes arranged visits, liaison with school staff and transition plans where appropriate. Staff can accompany a family on a transition visit to another setting. Being based within the Bewbush Academy grounds does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Language and thinking. April 2025 teaching sometimes curtailed children's answers or left comforters interrupting group conversation. During a visit, ask how staff now give children time to explain ideas and participate verbally.
• Holiday planning. The April 2025 operating pattern was term time, while current session choices cover mornings, afternoons and full days. Confirm the annual attendance calendar before organising holiday childcare.
• Individual support. Ramps, picture aids and the sensory room are practical resources, supported by key workers and SENCO arrangements. A visit should explore how these would fit your child's routines and any existing professional advice.
• Food and everyday supplies. For your chosen morning, afternoon or full-day pattern, ask how meals and non-food supplies are arranged and charged.

Tots suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoons or a full preschool day, especially those who value outdoor play and a detailed process for discussing additional needs. Its parent committee offers another way to become involved, while the accessible building and visual communication resources give substance to the care arrangements.

The April 2025 Good judgement provides a clear inspection position. The accompanying teaching concerns make the balance equally clear: interesting activities need adults who consistently extend children's thinking and language. Families should weigh those interaction skills alongside the playground, sensory room and practical support systems.