Jigsaw Pre-School

A walled garden, sheltered outdoor play and woodland outings give Jigsaw Pre-School a character that reaches beyond its church hall. In Claygate, it combines a Christian foundation with a welcome for children of any faith or background. The emphasis is on preschool life: play, friendships and growing independence before school.

Children can start from 2 years 9 months and stay until rising five, and there are 40 places in total. At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged Jigsaw Good, found safeguarding effective and highlighted successful personalised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Morning sessions can be followed by lunch club or an extended afternoon, all within a term-time timetable.

The strongest practical attraction is the relationship between indoor and outdoor activity. Children can move between the two, while Woodland Explorers adds small-group experiences in woodland away from the setting. Outdoor learning has several forms here, from garden planting to investigating a different natural environment.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning through play, combining activities children choose with those adults introduce. Communication, physical development, early literacy and mathematics sit alongside social development, creative expression and discovering the world. These areas connect in the same activity rather than occupying separate lessons.

Weekly themes organise the day, with construction, imaginative play, sensory experiences and small-world play among its regular ingredients. Children have room to pursue their own interests, but there is also a shared rhythm. The rolling snack bar opens at 10am, followed by interactive carpet time at 10.30am; a story brings the morning towards its 12.15pm finish. That gives children both choice and familiar points around which to organise their day.

Carpet time includes magic maths and fun phonics, activities linked to current learning, alongside moving & grooving. Teddy Tennis is an additional club children can join during preschool hours. Multi-Sports, delivered weekly by Surrey Football Coaching, introduces different sports and games, adding organised opportunities to practise movement and cooperation.

Language was a clear strength, but mathematics needs attention: at the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff supported communication well through books and conversation, while mathematical teaching did not consistently extend existing understanding in a planned sequence and individual staff development needed more precise monitoring. The distinction matters. Enjoyable activities and named maths sessions are useful ingredients, but the next step is making the mathematical challenge build reliably for each child.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Church Hall at Holy Trinity Claygate is the indoor base. Outside, children have a garden and hard-surfaced area, with a canopy sheltering part of the space. Bikes and trikes, water play and growing activities give outdoor time different purposes: energetic movement, experimentation and looking after plants. Access throughout the session makes it part of everyday learning rather than an occasional break.

Woodland Explorers takes children off site in small groups to investigate woodland through activities and challenges. The woodland serves as an outdoor classroom across the seasons, with opportunities to make choices and explore the natural environment. This adds a change of surroundings to the garden-based day.

In December 2024, children connected stories with a recent visit from firefighters and used vocabulary associated with that experience. It is a useful example of how a visitor can give conversation and books something concrete to build on, rather than simply becoming a separate special event.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a Key Carer, a named member of staff who works with the family, follows development and shares progress. The learning journey is accessible to parents, who can contribute to it. This gives communication a continuing thread: home experiences can inform the setting's understanding of a child, while parents can see how interests and skills are developing.

In December 2024, staff spent time learning about new children's experiences at home as part of settling them in. Parents also took part in stay-and-play sessions, giving them a view of activities and ideas to use at home. These are practical ways to connect the child's preschool day with family life.

Three parent representatives serve each academic year. They organise coffee mornings, evenings out and fundraising activities, and host a WhatsApp group for parents and carers. Alongside individual communication through the Key Carer, this creates opportunities for families to meet one another and keep in touch.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role includes one-to-one support, while designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles provide routes for raising concerns. Staff undertake safeguarding training regularly. These are specific arrangements families can discuss in relation to their own child, rather than a general promise that every need will be met in the same way.

In December 2024, the setting had a quiet space where children could pause and relax. Staff also used toy teeth to practise brushing and linked the activity to conversations about food and dental health. Independence was part of daily care, including children managing tissues and handwashing. The emphasis was on practising manageable tasks themselves, with adults supporting the routine.

Sessions and Attendance

Jigsaw operates at Holy Trinity Church, Church Road, Claygate, KT10 0JP. It opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during term time. This is a school-term pattern, so families need arrangements that fit the breaks as well as the preschool day.

Morning sessions run from 9am to 12.15pm. Optional additions are Lunch club, from 12.15pm to 1.30pm, and Extended Day, from 12.15pm to 3pm. The latter is the afternoon addition to the morning, rather than a separate early-start or late-finish childcare day. These choices allow a shorter morning or attendance continuing into the afternoon.

Lunch comes from home and is eaten with other children and a team member. Children choose where to sit, making the meal another opportunity to practise decisions and social skills.

Admissions enquiries go to admissions@jigsawpreschool.org. A registration form can be downloaded or obtained in person, and receipt is followed by registration confirmation within two weeks. That confirmation is distinct from an offer of a place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Jigsaw offers the 15 government funded hours from the term following a child's third birthday, within its term-time provision. Private fees also apply; contact the nursery for current prices using the funding and fees contact route on its fees page.

Parents provide lunch. When a place is offered, a non-refundable deposit is required to secure it, so this payment deserves attention before accepting an offer.

• Mathematical challenge. In December 2024, staff development and the sequencing of mathematical learning needed greater precision. During a visit, ask how individual training and planning now help children move beyond what they already know.
• Term-time hours. The morning ends at 12.15pm, lunch club at 1.30pm and the extended day at 3pm. These are useful preschool choices, but families need their wider childcare arrangements to fit those finishes and the term breaks.
• Church foundation. Jigsaw is run by the church and welcomes families across faiths and backgrounds. A visit offers a useful opportunity to discuss how its Christian foundation shapes activities and celebrations.
• Lunch and the written quotation. Families supply lunch and pay a non-refundable deposit when accepting a place. Ask for a written breakdown covering funded attendance, snacks, consumables and club charges before committing.

Jigsaw suits families seeking either preschool mornings or mornings extended through lunch into the afternoon, with term-time attendance fitting their routine. Its garden, canopy-covered outdoor space and Woodland Explorers give children several ways to learn outside, while the Key Carer arrangement keeps individual development connected to home.

The December 2024 assessment supports confidence in its overall provision, with mathematical teaching the specific area requiring closer attention. The appeal is concrete: a church-hall preschool with substantial outdoor opportunities, a clear daily rhythm and several ways for parents to participate.