Pelham Pre-School

Pouring drinks, predicting what will float and learning alongside older friends give Pelham Pre-School's June 2023 experience its character. Based at Stocking Pelham Village Hall, near Buntingford, it has 25 places in total.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and found that children progressed well, developing skills for their move to school. Children attending then were aged two to four. The strongest detail is everyday independence: children taking responsibility for their belongings and choosing their own play.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; in everyday terms, it connects play with learning and growing independence.

In June 2023, mixed-age play gave younger children opportunities to learn from older ones, including watching them pour drinks. Older children practised patience when younger friends joined their games. This made ordinary routines opportunities to learn together.

Stories and a water-play table engaged two-year-olds, while older children created pictures for a sea life display and talked about the creatures they drew. Water play also brought mathematics into practical experiments: children predicted whether objects would sink and compared containers by weight and volume. Makaton sign language supported communication, alongside encouragement to try unfamiliar words.

There was a clear limitation. Staff planned next steps around children's interests, but did not consistently extend learning through routine activities. Serving fruit already cut up, for example, removed the chance to investigate it whole or practise peeling it.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff trained to recognise concerns and use the appropriate reporting routes. This is a dated judgement.

In June 2023, staff built relationships with children from the start and modelled politeness, sharing and taking turns. Children sought adults out to join their play and enjoyed showing them what they had achieved. Tidying resources and looking after belongings also gave children manageable responsibilities.

In June 2023, transition work included inviting school teachers to meet children at Pelham and practitioners visiting schools to learn about their routines. Leaders supported staff through supervision and raised funds outside opening hours, including for further training. These details connect care for children with support for the adults working with them.

The address is Stocking Pelham Village Hall, Stocking Pelham, Nr Buntingford, SG9 0HZ.

In June 2023, opening hours were 9am to 2.30pm, Monday to Thursday, during term time. The pre-school then provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These arrangements belong to that period.

• Attendance and funding. The June 2023 arrangements combined term-time opening with funded early education. At a visit, what attendance and funding arrangements would apply to your child now?
• Learning through routines. In June 2023, staff sometimes missed chances to develop learning during everyday activities, including preparing fruit. This matters if you value practical tasks as part of growing independence.

Pelham suits families drawn to mixed-age play and practical independence. Its June 2023 experience combined friendships, communication support and preparation for school, with a clear improvement priority around making routine activities more instructive. The appeal lies in those everyday interactions rather than a named curriculum brand.