Next Steps Preschool

Three gardens give this church-hall preschool much of its character: a sand kitchen, sensory garden and slide on a grassy bank make outdoor play a substantial part of the offer. Next Steps Preschool serves children aged two to four at St Martins Church Hall in Dover, with capacity for 50 children in total. Its emphasis is on children choosing activities, developing independence and learning alongside others.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and found safeguarding effective, with children making good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Two improvements were required: more effective staff deployment during play and more consistent help with younger children's communication. Those are practical points for families to explore.

Attendance is term-time, with morning sessions, afternoon sessions and full daycare, plus additional wraparound hours.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the shared framework for children's learning and care. Stories, games, songs and play support language, movement, relationships, literacy and mathematics. Children choose equipment and outdoor play; adult-led groups introduce new experiences and cooperation.

Individual choice sits alongside group participation. Independence, managing feelings and learning through manageable risks are explicit aims.

In April 2024, older children sustained imaginative play around an outdoor car garage, talking about fire engines, while younger children spent time making shapes from play dough with staff. These examples give a concrete picture of learning through conversation, pretend play and handling materials. The same visit recorded children revisiting trips through photographs and role play: shopping for cake ingredients became something to remember and discuss, while a hairdresser visit prompted turn-taking games.

Books and rhymes also featured in April 2024, including travelling bear, through which children shared their adventures. The communication improvement matters alongside these activities: providing something interesting to talk about and helping a younger child find the words are separate parts of the task.

Outdoor and Community Life

The three gardens contain a sand pit, sand kitchen, sensory garden and a large slide set on a grassy bank. These give children different ways to explore, from handling sand to climbing and sliding. Children are encouraged to investigate nature and take an interest in insects, connecting outdoor activity with understanding the world.

In April 2024, outdoor digging in sand and mud sat alongside a sensory space for relaxation. Church and community links supported families. Today, the gardens give children several choices for outdoor play.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person observes development and assesses progress. The electronic Learning Journey has term-end updates and summaries; parents receive an email link and can reply, connecting home and preschool learning.

Tapestry holds written and photographic records and assessments. The parent education board shares planning, while newsletters bring updates. Parents also contribute skills, interests and knowledge to activities.

In April 2024, parents valued stay-and-play sessions for guidance on supporting learning at home. Staff also accompanied families on visits, extending help beyond preschool activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role supports work around additional needs. Where a child's support needs require further planning, the terms provide for work with the family, local authority and other agencies; arrangements may include changing attendance or providing key-person support, individual support or direct supervision. This is a mechanism for planning care, rather than a promise that one arrangement will suit every child.

Families needing help to access information can receive translated materials or interpreter support where required, with Braille and British Sign Language/Makaton among the formats the admissions policy seeks to accommodate. That matters when a parent's understanding of routines, support or terms depends on how information is communicated.

In April 2024, everyday tasks helped children practise independence: older children spread butter on toast and washed their plates, while younger children put coats away. Family photographs were used to discuss different households. Toothbrushing after food also formed part of the day, with staff demonstrating how to use a brush.

Current arrangements include paediatric first aid training for staff and recorded toileting incidents, which parents sign. The lunch routine asks families to pack a toothbrush. These details make self-care a practical part of preschool life.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St Martins Church Hall, Church Road, Dover, CT17 9LW. Next Steps opens for 38 weeks annually and closes for school holidays, bank holidays and five training days each year. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; Tuesday finishes at 11.30am.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am on all five weekdays. Afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Full daycare is also offered, as are extra wraparound hours. Tuesday has neither lunch nor an afternoon session, so it needs separate consideration when arranging a weekly pattern.

A home visit forms part of the starting process once a family has decided to join. Staff bring the forms and discuss starting arrangements, including health or development concerns. Application and registration paperwork must be completed before attendance, including permissions for medicine and emergency treatment. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or contact form.

The waiting-list policy considers birth order and application date, with proximity to the setting and siblings already attending also potentially taken into account. Parents can take part in governance through the committee, and the annual general meeting is open to families with children attending.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes universal early education for three- and four-year-olds, eligible two-year-old funding and working-parent entitlements. Universal funding provides 15 hours weekly over 38 weeks; eligible working parents can apply for up to 30 hours for two-year-olds and extended funding for three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility conditions apply. Delivery follows the term-time calendar.

Funded hours must be booked, and a parental declaration is completed each term. The funding procedure allows claimed hours to include the lunch period; childcare beyond the hours claimed is charged separately. Additional private hours are optional and agreed in advance. Families using working-parent funding need to keep their codes updated to maintain funding.

There is no deposit, but an annual administration charge applies. A separate weekly consumables charge covers fruit, snacks, wipes, sun cream and activity materials; families also bring nappies and wipes when needed. Packed lunches come from home, with a supervised lunch period offered. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the fees and session information explains the charging structure.

The food policy excludes nuts and nut products from packed lunches and prevents children exchanging food, while the terms explain that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out and provide for allergy risk assessments. Cooked packed-lunch food cannot be reheated, which affects lunch choices.

Paid childcare remains chargeable during a child's absence. The terms distinguish between notice arrangements: funded attendance requires no notice on leaving, while paid attendance and wraparound care carry notice provisions. For paid reductions or withdrawal, one clause specifies at least two weeks, with a month of fees due if notice is insufficient; a separate clause requires a month's notice to end wraparound care.

• Support during play. April 2024 identified occasions when staff were occupied elsewhere or positioned poorly to extend children's learning. Ask how staff now organise themselves across activities and the gardens, especially when a child needs help to keep an activity going.
• Younger children's language. More consistent communication support was required in April 2024. For a two-year-old, explore how practitioners encourage words and conversation during everyday play, alongside books and rhymes.
• The weekly timetable. Tuesday ends at 11.30am, while the other weekdays extend to 3.30pm, and school holidays are closures. Consider that uneven week alongside the choice of morning, afternoon and full-day attendance.
• Lunch and allergies. Families provide packed lunches, cooked packed-lunch food cannot be reheated and the terms acknowledge possible cross-contamination. Allergy-affected families should confirm the current risk assessment and food-handling arrangements before joining.

Next Steps suits families seeking term-time mornings, afternoon sessions or full daycare, with outdoor choice, a key person and electronic progress records. Tuesday's shorter opening and holiday closures shape the fit.

The gardens and independence work give the offer substance. Balance these strengths against April 2024's improvement points: adult support during play and younger children's communication.