The Pines Pre School

A quiet sensory room beside a larger shared space gives The Pines Pre School a useful balance: room for sociable play, with somewhere calmer close by. Based in Pinehurst Community Centre in Hertford, this preschool combines child-led themes, an enclosed garden and connections with local family services. Its capacity is 26 children in total.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were making excellent progress relative to where they began. The strongest practical impression is of provision shaped around children's individual circumstances, rather than activities delivered in isolation from family life.

Children can begin from approximately two years six months and stay until they move into Reception. Attendance centres on term-time mornings, with a lunch-club extension on two days each week.

Rooms and Ages

The layout is straightforward: a large main room, a smaller sensory room for quieter play and an enclosed outdoor area. The smaller space gives children an alternative to the busier shared room.

Books are accessible across the setting, while a daily home corner supports pretend play. Children have opportunities to draw, make marks and create things, and can choose resources beyond those staff initially put out. That freedom matters: a planned activity need not displace a child's own idea.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, connecting communication, physical and social development with early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. It is the common early-years framework; the more revealing detail here is how themes are selected and used.

Each half-term has a broad theme, influenced by the interests of the children attending. Examples include Knights & Princesses and Numbers, Colours & Shapes. Activities within those themes are adjusted to children's abilities and the skills they are ready to develop next. The theme supplies a starting point, rather than a fixed script.

In November 2024, children explored how much containers could hold using pebbles and rice, and experimented with dough and stones as building materials. A story-sack activity using Dear Zoo encouraged them to join in with familiar language and anticipate the story. These examples connect early mathematical ideas and language with things children can handle, build and discuss.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified questioning as the area to improve: staff sometimes moved on before children had enough thinking time, or asked questions that did too little to extend independent thought. This is a specific teaching issue, especially relevant for children who need longer to formulate an answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

A canopy shelters part of the garden from rain and sunshine, helping outdoor play remain a practical part of the day whenever possible. In November 2024, children used bikes, climbed and experimented with a pulley that moved balls between different heights. Outdoor activity included exploration as well as movement.

Past outings have included Hertford Library, where older children tried the borrowing machines and shared a story, and Pinehurst Woodland Walk, where children examined carved animals and collected natural materials for crafts. These visits took familiar learning beyond the preschool's own rooms. They should be read as examples of outings, rather than a fixed trip timetable.

Annual celebrations include an Easter Bonnet parade, with children invited to bring a bonnet made at home, and a visit to Paradise Wildlife Park. Family participation also featured in the Singing Extravaganza, when children performed favourite songs for relatives and friends.

In November 2024, communication with families, including home visits, helped staff understand children's starting points. Children readily turned to familiar adults during play, while family photographs on display connected the setting with home. Staff also discussed changes such as a new sibling with parents, giving them context for a child's feelings and behaviour.

Emotional understanding had concrete tools: books and colours helped children talk about feelings, and adults used clear expectations when resolving disagreements. Everyday independence was equally practical. Children prepared fruit for snack and managed their coats before outdoor play. These small tasks made participation part of the morning rather than a separate lesson.

A deputy preschool leader also holds the SENCO role, providing an identifiable responsibility for special educational needs support. The preschool works with Hertfordshire Family Centre and participates in Operation Encompass, a scheme supporting children affected by domestic abuse. These are support mechanisms, rather than a substitute for discussing an individual child's needs.

The preschool leader oversees daily operations and curriculum planning, with assistants working on different days. This structure separates leadership responsibility from the changing daily staff deployment; it should not be read as a promise about how many adults will be present at any particular session.

Daily snacks can include yoghurt, toast, fruit or cheese, with water or milk to drink. Tuesday lunch club requires a packed lunch from home, while Wednesday's cooked lunch sits within a separately charged lunch-club session.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Community Centre, Pinehurst Estate, Birdie Way, Hertford, SG13 7SX. Morning sessions run from 9.30am to 12.30pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Lunch club extends attendance from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on two days each week, giving families a choice between a morning session and an extended morning.

Applications enter a waiting list, and time spent on that list is one admission criterion. A brief application can be completed online or submitted by email or post. The preschool contacts families around half a term before a possible start date to establish whether they remain interested. That is a durable application process, rather than a statement about places currently free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes two-year-old funding, funding for three- and four-year-olds, and 30 hours funding for eligible working parents of children aged two, three and four. Within its term-time timetable, The Pines can deliver up to 17 hours per week using the 30 hours funding. The entitlement and the hours this setting can accommodate are therefore different considerations.

Private morning sessions are also offered. Lunch club is charged separately, and its charges are outside the two-year-old and three- and four-year-old grants. Tuesday's meal comes from home; Wednesday's cooked meal is part of the charged lunch-club arrangement. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their chosen attendance and extras through the costs page.

• Lunch-club days. The main timetable and costs information use Tuesday and Wednesday, while another home-page version uses Tuesday and Friday. Confirm the days for your intended attendance before arranging work or collection.
• Time to think. November 2024's improvement point concerned questioning and allowing children longer to answer. During a visit, ask how staff now give quieter children space to develop and express their ideas.
• The funded-hours fit. Up to 17 hours per week can be used here against the 30 hours funding. Compare that pattern with your family's childcare needs, and ask which non-food consumables you would supply or pay for.

The Pines suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or mornings extended through lunch club, with children starting from around two years six months. The sensory room, sheltered garden and interest-led themes give the shared-space arrangement substance. Local outings and family celebrations add another dimension.

The November 2024 findings support the quality of care and education, while the questioning improvement point deserves attention. The main practical decisions are whether the term-time timetable fits family life, how funded hours will be used and which lunch-club days apply.