Rainbows Village Preschool

A book corner, garden and Rainbow Board for celebrating achievements give Rainbows Village Preschool a recognisable character: space for stories, play and sharing successes. Based at the Village Hall in Fair Oak, it accepts children from two years and has 30 places in total. That is whole-setting capacity, rather than the number attending any particular session.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good on 9 May 2025, finding that its curriculum helped children develop skills from their individual starting points. The practical strengths were clear: books, outdoor construction and adults who knew the children well. Two improvements also mattered: making behavioural expectations consistent and explaining individual learning goals more clearly to parents.

The Village setting opened in September 2024. Its book corner, home corner and garden provide different settings for play, while its attendance arrangements include several starting and finishing times.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, including communication, movement and relationships alongside early literacy and mathematics. This is the shared foundation for early-years provision. Rainbows' shared prospectus puts communication, physical development and personal and social development first when children begin, giving attention to the skills that help them participate in preschool life.

Village's resources make that approach tangible. The book corner gives stories a place in the room; the home corner supports pretend play; small world toys and the discovery trolley provide further choices for exploration. These are different ways into an activity, rather than a day built around everyone doing the same thing together.

A Rainbow Board celebrates children's achievements with their friends. Its value is straightforward: progress can become something children recognise and share, alongside the quieter work of learning through play. The Kitchen garden adds another physical feature to the outdoor space.

In May 2025, children used foam bricks in an outdoor construction area, stacking towers and rebuilding after they toppled. Adults encouraged another attempt while children bent, balanced and reached. The activity brought movement and problem-solving together through something the children wanted to do.

Stories also had a regular place in the day in May 2025. Adults read to children, who also explored books independently. Older children practised listening and sustaining attention as part of preparation for school, and staff worked with local schools on that next stage. This was transition work, rather than a claim to an admissions advantage.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a familiar contact for each child and family, helps with settling and follows development. Rainbows uses the group-wide Tapestry online learning journal to record children's development; families also contribute information through its All About Me section. That gives staff a starting point for understanding a child's interests and routines before relying solely on what happens at preschool.

In May 2025, staff knew children's care routines and interests well, and children showed trust in the adults caring for them. Conversations and online communication connected staff with parents, but explanations of individual learning goals were less consistent. For families, the distinction matters: knowing what happened during the day is different from understanding what a child is working towards.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described tailored SEND support involving adapted activities and surroundings, parental involvement and professional advice for individual plans. The Village team includes SENCO and designated safeguarding lead roles. These give families identifiable responsibilities within the team rather than a general promise of support.

Self-care formed part of everyday learning in May 2025, including personal hygiene, healthy eating and looking after teeth. Children were encouraged to do more for themselves. This sits alongside school preparation: independence involves managing everyday tasks as well as listening during a group activity.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Village Hall, Short Road, Fair Oak, SO50 7EJ. Monday opening is 8.30am to 12.15pm; Tuesday to Friday offers starts at 8.30am, 9.15am, 12.15pm or 1.15pm, with finishes at 12.15pm, 1.15pm or 3pm. These choices allow different attendance lengths, but the starting and finishing options should be considered together when planning a child's week.

In May 2025, the preschool operated during term time. The Village application form asks about additional professional support and offers starting-age selections of two years six months, two years nine months and three years, alongside the setting's broader acceptance of children from two.

Families can contact the Village setting by email at village@rainbowspreschool.co.uk or telephone on 07861 150879. A separate Village application form provides the joining route, keeping enquiries directed to this setting.

Funding and Paid Extras

Rainbows accepts funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds, including 30-hour funding for eligible families. Private hours are also charged. Families should obtain a current written quotation that separates their funded attendance from additional paid hours and other charges.

A termly charge covers snacks, nappies and activities such as music sessions and PE coaching; these sit outside the hourly charge. Parents contribute a piece of fruit each week and supply lunch boxes, while toast and fruit are offered at snack time. The allergy procedure requires discussion with management at enrolment and a health plan where necessary.

For children who are not eligible for government funding when enrolling, a place-holder charge may apply. That condition matters when comparing the cost of joining with the ongoing cost of attendance.

• Different daily timings. Monday ends at 12.15pm, while Tuesday to Friday has several starting and finishing choices. At a visit, discuss how the exact combination would fit your child's routine and your working week.
• Clear learning goals. In May 2025, parents did not consistently receive clear explanations of individual learning priorities. Ask how your child's next steps will be communicated alongside Tapestry updates.
• Consistent boundaries. The May 2025 improvement action concerned differing messages about behaviour. Discuss how staff now agree expectations and explain them to children.
• Food and additional charges. Snacks, nappies and activities attract a termly charge, with fruit and lunch contributions from home. Allergy-affected families should confirm current arrangements before agreeing attendance.

Rainbows Village suits families seeking play-based preschool from age two, with a garden, books and a key-person relationship providing concrete strengths. Its timing choices can serve families wanting a morning finish and those seeking attendance extending into the afternoon on Tuesday to Friday.

The Good judgement in May 2025 gives a useful quality benchmark. The decision should also account for that visit's two clear improvement priorities: consistent behavioural messages and better explanations of individual learning goals. Both affect the everyday experience of children and parents, so they deserve as much attention as the attractive play resources.