Water Lilies Preschool

A flower garden, pond life and bread dough give Water Lilies Preschool a practical, hands-on character. This non-profit setting serves Ifield West in Crawley, accepting children aged two to four, with capacity for 32 children in total. Its appeal lies in ordinary experiences made useful: tending plants, preparing food and choosing what to explore.

At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective. That dated judgement sits alongside two specific improvement priorities: making staff practice more consistent in supporting speech and language, and giving younger children clearer help with behaviour.

Morning, afternoon and combined attendance patterns are offered, with no minimum number of sessions. For families building a preschool routine around other commitments, that booking flexibility is a substantial practical advantage.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play and developing intellectual and social skills. Here, children have both activities organised by adults and opportunities to follow their own interests. Toys and activity stations change daily, giving children different starting points for exploration rather than a fixed sequence of tasks.

Bread-dough preparation puts food-making into children's hands, while construction with bricks, technology play and homemade play dough bring different materials into the day. Drawing and craft work sit alongside reading and stories. The balance matters: children can practise making choices as well as taking part in something an adult has planned.

In January 2022, children explored paint by making dinosaur footprints and comparing their sizes. Drawing, painting and outdoor chalk work also gave them practice controlling their fingers. Songs and rhymes helped with routines, while dancing and jumping brought movement into group activities. These are examples from that period, rather than a timetable of current sessions.

Story time had a conversational role in January 2022. Younger children named animals during a farm story, while older children discussed animal food and their own pets. Books were a starting point for talking and recalling earlier experiences, rather than simply something to listen to.

Outdoor and Community Life

A small outdoor area contains wheeled toys, water-play equipment and a play house. Mud kitchen play adds another way to handle materials and experiment outdoors. The space is modest, but its activities give children alternatives to indoor construction and craft work.

Children help care for the flower garden, connecting play with how plants grow. A nearby pond provides opportunities to observe ducks, geese and other wildlife and learn about animal life cycles. No fixed frequency is attached to those pond visits.

Easter, Hanukkah and Diwali are among the celebrations explored during the year. Parents and carers are encouraged to contribute their own ways of celebrating, giving these occasions a connection with children's families rather than treating them solely as craft themes.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a Key Worker who follows their development and works with parents to shape a suitable routine. That gives families a particular staff role through which to discuss their child's needs, rather than relying only on general messages about the group.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to record achievements and development against the Early Years Foundation Stage. Termly consultations provide a separate opportunity for parents and carers to discuss progress and concerns in person. The two arrangements serve different purposes: the journal follows learning over time, while consultations allow a fuller conversation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) coordinates additional-needs provision with families. At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified children needing extra help and that the coordinator worked with parents, practitioners and outside professionals, including a local authority adviser, to support progress.

The January 2022 improvement priorities deserve attention alongside those strengths. Staff monitoring did not consistently translate speech-and-language training into practice; some adults asked too many questions and allowed too little thinking time. Younger children also needed more consistent help to express themselves appropriately and understand the effect of their actions on others.

Families provide a healthy snack contribution for morning attendance and a packed lunch for afternoon attendance; water or milk is provided. The food policy excludes sweets and chocolate from lunch boxes and asks families to leave out nuts, including peanut butter, because of possible allergies.

Sessions and Attendance

Sessions are organised in three-hour blocks. Children can attend a single block, several blocks, mornings, afternoons or both, with no minimum booking requirement. This makes the model relevant to families wanting a shorter preschool session as well as those combining morning and afternoon attendance.

The typical morning includes free play, small-group time, a snack bar and stories. Afternoon attendance includes lunch, play, small-group activities and story time. These sequences describe the shape of the day rather than fixed clock times for each activity.

Getting There

The preschool operates at Ifield Community Centre, Dobbins Place, Hyde Drive, Crawley, RH11 0PL. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07539 152255 or by email to preschool@water-lilies.org.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding options include support for eligible two-year-olds, the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, and 30 Hours Free Childcare for eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds. Entitlement depends on the relevant eligibility conditions; the preschool's participation does not itself establish a family's eligibility.

Parents supply the morning snack contribution and afternoon packed lunch under the session arrangements. That food preparation is part of planning attendance alongside any funded hours. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

• Language and behaviour support. In January 2022, priorities included stronger monitoring of speech-and-language practice and more consistent guidance for younger children. During a visit, ask how staff now allow thinking time and help children manage disagreements.
• Matching sessions to your week. Three-hour blocks and no minimum booking requirement allow several attendance patterns. Ask how your intended combination fits the current weekly timetable and term dates.
• Food and allergies. Morning attendance requires a healthy snack contribution, while afternoon attendance requires a packed lunch. Families managing allergies should confirm current practice, including the policy on nuts, before starting.

Water Lilies suits families seeking morning preschool sessions, afternoon attendance or a combination of both, with freedom to book without a minimum session commitment. Its garden, food preparation and pond exploration give children concrete things to investigate, while Tapestry and termly consultations give parents structured ways to follow development.

The January 2022 Good judgement is a useful quality reference, alongside its priorities for speech-and-language practice and behaviour guidance. The strongest fit is for families who value flexible session choices, hands-on play and a clear role in their child's preschool routine.