St Martin's Pre-School CIO

A mud kitchen, garden chimes and a playroom that opens freely onto the outdoors give St Martin's Pre-School CIO a clear character: children have room to investigate, get messy and follow an idea. Based on the St Martin’s Primary School site in Epsom, this charitable pre-school combines a shared play space with attendance patterns organised around children's ages. It has 32 places in total and accepts children from two until normal school entry age.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good across all areas, found that children progressed well and confirmed effective safeguarding arrangements.

Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance are offered during term time. A volunteer committee takes responsibility for the charity and its staff, giving parents and carers a route into the organisation's decisions as well as their own child's experience.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework: children develop language, movement, social skills and early understanding of numbers and writing through play and interaction. Alongside that shared foundation, In the Moment Planning means practitioners respond to children's interests as they develop during play.

The large playroom contains spaces for construction and art, a quieter area and a snack bar.

In July 2025, children experimented outdoors by combining water with shaving foam. Indoors, clay play developed into making ramps, with children looking for materials themselves.

The same visit exposed the importance of preparation. An outdoor painting activity lacked its essential material, while a key-and-padlock task was not consistently reset for the next child. In July 2025, activities needed more consistent resourcing, and staff needed to explain behaviour expectations more clearly when children's excitement disrupted others' learning. Freedom to explore works best when the materials and adult guidance keep pace.

Outdoor and Community Life

Free access between indoors and outdoors operates throughout the year. The main garden has Astroturf, with a large sand pit, wooden wendy house, mud kitchen and chimes adding different textures and possibilities.

Outdoor Learning sessions require wellington boots, so families need to include outdoor clothing in their routine.

Family participation adds another dimension. Parents and grandparents can help during sessions, read with children or play a musical instrument. Music week is among the possible events in the annual family programme, with parents contributing their own musical skills.

Relationships and Communication

A key person connects a child's play, development and welfare with communication at home. Their role includes observing learning, planning next steps and keeping parents involved. For September starters, a summer play session introduces the child and parent to that key person before regular attendance begins.

The autumn settling arrangements spread children's starts across the first three weeks of afternoon sessions. Parents can remain until they feel their child is ready for separation, with the key person and manager working alongside them.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used for observations, photographs and comments about children's development. Families can add their own photographs and comments, helping practitioners understand interests that may emerge at home. The September 2025 communication arrangements included a short individual observation each half term and a weekly summary, rather than an individual daily diary. Regular key-person discussions provide another opportunity to talk through learning and development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The behaviour policy assigns responsibilities to the manager, SENCO and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. Practitioners with key children hold current first-aid certificates, and new staff undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Behaviour support follows a stepped policy involving the key person, SENCO and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. Where concerns persist, staff work with parents to identify possible triggers, agree adjustments and plan support. External advice may come from the Surrey Early Years Advisor or an area SEND advisor, with recommendations incorporated into the child's plan. The policy also provides for suspension or permanent exclusion as a last resort under specified safety and support conditions, so families whose children need additional behavioural support should understand the full procedure.

Parents supply snacks and packed lunches; food must be suitable to eat cold or from an insulated flask because staff cannot heat it. The pre-school operates a nut-free food policy and asks families to avoid chocolate bars and cakes in lunch boxes.

The cloakroom has four low-level toilets and wash basins, alongside potties and a changing table. Children can access it freely, supporting developing independence. Families provide nappies when needed and spare clothing for children who are toilet training or may have accidents.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Worple Road, Epsom, KT18 7AA. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, across 38 term-time weeks. The three booking patterns are morning sessions from 8.45am to 11.45am, afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm and all-day sessions from 8.45am to 3.15pm.

Children can start in the term after their second birthday. Two-year-olds attend afternoons or all day; morning attendance is for children who are three by 31 August before the academic year begins. Initially, two-year-olds take at least two afternoons or two all-day bookings each week, while three- and four-year-olds take at least four mornings or two all-day bookings.

The autumn 2026 half-term closure runs from 19 to 30 October.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is delivered over 38 weeks. The options include Universal Entitlement (15 Hours), Working Parents Entitlement funding of 30 hours for eligible families with children aged two, three or four, and Funded Early Learning for Two-Year-olds (15 Hours). Eligibility and the age-based session rules both matter: children becoming eligible for universal funding during the academic year use those hours in afternoons until the next academic year.

Additional hours are privately charged. A full-time attendance pattern includes 2.5 unfunded hours each week, even alongside the 30-hour entitlement. The fees and charges page sets out the charge structure; current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation.

For funded sessions, the contribution towards resources, consumables and special visitors or events is voluntary. Parents still provide food and any nappies their child needs. A deposit accompanies an application and a registration payment follows acceptance, with refund conditions; families eligible for Early Learning for Two-Year-olds are exempt from both payments when they supply eligibility confirmation. The deposit is refunded when a child takes up a fully funded place, and the registration payment is credited against initial fees or refunded on taking up a fully funded place.

Applications can be made from birth. Offers prioritise looked-after or previously looked-after children, then children with a sibling still attending, before waiting-list order. Where all-day requests exceed places, children who attended afternoons from the preceding September receive priority.

Although the pre-school shares the St Martin’s Primary School site, attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families apply through the local authority's school admissions process.

• Resources and behaviour guidance. July 2025 findings identified uneven activity preparation and delays in explaining the effect of disruptive behaviour. During an appointment with your child, ask how staff now keep activities ready and help children manage excitement around others.
• Age and attendance commitments. Morning eligibility depends on age by 31 August, and minimum weekly bookings apply. Discuss the appropriate pattern at a visit, especially if your child turns three during the academic year.
• Term-time planning. Care runs across 38 weeks, with the October 2026 closure lasting from 19 to 30 October. That interval needs to fit your family's childcare arrangements.
• Withdrawal and food arrangements. Withdrawal terms differ between the general admissions information and the May 2026 policy over notice timing and fees in lieu, so obtain the applicable written terms before accepting. Families managing allergies should also confirm current practice under the nut-free policy.

St Martin's suits families seeking term-time afternoon care for a younger child, morning preschool attendance or an all-day pattern. Its strongest practical attractions are the freely accessible garden, shared spaces for different kinds of play and a key-person relationship that begins before September attendance.

The July 2025 Good judgement provides a positive assessment, with clear cautions about activity preparation and behaviour guidance. For parents comfortable with the age-based booking rules and term-time calendar, this is a pre-school with tangible opportunities for child-led exploration and family involvement.