Epsom Playhouse Pre-School

Parent involvement reaches beyond fundraising at Epsom Playhouse Pre-School. This community charity is governed by an elected volunteer committee, with profits returned to the setting rather than taken out of it. That gives families a practical way to contribute to decisions about resources, events and the running of the pre-school.

Based in Epsom at Concorde Hall on the Epsom Air Scouts site, off Horton Hill, it welcomes children aged two to five and has capacity for 50 children. At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, while identifying two areas for development: making activities respond more precisely to children's next learning steps and strengthening coaching for staff.

Morning sessions and all-day attendance are both offered, with Lunch Club providing an extension to the morning. The strongest practical thread is continuity: each child has a key person from their first day, weekly observations are shared through Tapestry, and parents have consultation meetings twice a year.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) shapes the sessions: children learn through play and adult-planned activities, covering language, physical development, relationships, early literacy and mathematics alongside understanding the world and creative expression. Children can choose activities, while practitioners join their play and also organise learning experiences. This combines opportunities to pursue an interest with activities selected by adults.

In April 2023, speech and social interaction were central to the curriculum. Adults talked through children's play, introduced vocabulary and responded to speech errors by repeating words correctly. The practical emphasis was on conversation during an activity, rather than separating language from the rest of the day.

Sensory and construction play supplied concrete examples that month. Children used cocoa-scented sand in imaginative play, moved water between containers with pipettes and assembled large panels into a house. These experiences brought together hand control, pretend play and building. Rain became a learning resource too, with children trying tools to measure collected water and using water to paint walls.

Outdoor and Community Life

In April 2023, outdoor play included going out in wet weather. Children practised putting on boots and coats, and were given time to change their clothes themselves when wet. Everyday care tasks therefore formed part of preparation for school, alongside the planned activities.

Community outings were connected to learning that month, including a visit to the local library linked to children's interest in books. Family participation also has a practical route through Scooter Aid, a scheme for donating unwanted scooters and obtaining replacements for children, and Scoot Safe, which provides advice about safer scooter use for adults and children. These are family resources, rather than nursery teaching programmes.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is assigned from the child's first day and works with the family to help the child settle. The same role also brings together observations and assessment, giving parents an identified practitioner who follows their child's development rather than treating settling and learning as separate matters.

Tapestry is the channel for weekly observations that parents can view. Twice-yearly meetings give families a further opportunity to discuss learning, welfare and development with the key person. The combination offers both frequent snapshots and a longer conversation about how the child is getting on.

In April 2023, practitioners used shared approaches to children's emotions and behaviour, and worked with other professionals on emotional-literacy interventions when developmental gaps were identified. Support was linked to individual needs, rather than relying solely on general behaviour expectations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) highly, including work with parents and external agencies and training tailored to individual needs. Those are dated findings, rather than a claim about every child's experience today.

The current team structure includes a SENCO, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. Most practitioners hold an NVQ Level 3 in early years care and education, and staff undertake further training in areas including first aid and special educational needs. For families seeking additional support, the SENCO provides a clear role within the setting.

Health education also featured in April 2023. Children learnt about food and dental care, while families received lunch ideas and information about oral health. The emphasis extended beyond an activity for children to practical messages parents could use at home.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the pre-school closes for school holidays. Morning sessions run from 9am to midday, and the all-day pattern runs from 9am to 3pm. Afternoon sessions are also offered. Children must attend at least two sessions each week, so a single weekly session does not meet the booking requirement.

Lunch Club runs from midday to 1pm on weekdays and extends a morning booking. It is charged separately, or families can use their FEE or FEET entitlement for it. This gives a different attendance pattern from either a morning alone or an all-day booking.

Last Minute Drop Off allows parents to telephone that morning to request an extra session, subject to space that day, with the charge added to the next invoice. It is a conditional booking option, rather than a promise of a place. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by email, and visits can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time. The entitlements include 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds through FEET funding, 15 hours for two-year-olds whose parents qualify for the working element, 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds, and 30 hours for children whose parents qualify for the working element.

For children aged three and over receiving FEE funding, and two-year-olds receiving FEET or working-parent funding, invoices include a voluntary contribution each half term, payable at its start. Contributions support the charity's costs and children's activities. Private sessions are also offered; families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, with the charge structure explained on the fees page.

Getting There

The setting uses Concorde Hall at Epsom Air Scouts in Epsom, off Horton Hill, KT19 8SR. The contact address also identifies Horton Path, a useful detail when planning the route to the hall.

• Teaching next steps. In April 2023, some activities did not build sufficiently on children's existing learning, and staff coaching needed further development. On a visit, ask how key-person observations now influence activities and how practitioners receive feedback.
• A term-time commitment. School-holiday closures and the minimum of two weekly sessions shape the arrangement. This suits a recurring term-time routine rather than an occasional single-session booking.
• The lunch extension. Lunch Club extends a morning until 1pm and can use FEE or FEET entitlement. Ask what families supply for lunch and non-food consumables, and how any related charges apply to funded attendance.
• Committee participation. The elected volunteer committee is essential to the charity's operation. Families interested in contributing can ask what involvement entails before taking on a role.

Epsom Playhouse Pre-School suits families seeking either morning attendance, a morning extended through Lunch Club, or an all-day term-time pattern. Its key-person arrangements and regular Tapestry observations give parent communication a clear structure, while the committee offers a more active route into pre-school life.

The April 2023 Good judgement provides a positive starting point, with specific teaching and coaching weaknesses to explore. A central consideration is how children's individual next steps shape their daily activities.