St Philip's Pre-School

Storytelling, learning to take turns and a close connection with home give St Philip's Pre-School its character. This Dunston setting welcomes children from two years old to school age and has capacity for 24 children in total. At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective.

The strongest detail is in the everyday learning: children choosing books for themselves, using numbers in games and learning to manage their coats. These are useful foundations for school, built through play, practical games and everyday self-care. In November 2023, two improvement priorities were more purposeful outdoor learning and greater freedom for children to develop their own creative ideas.

Morning and afternoon sessions can be joined through paid lunchtime care. That gives families a choice between a shorter attendance pattern and a full day, with holidays following the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the educational offer, with play and sensory exploration used to develop children's learning. Planning responds to individual interests and experience, while key persons follow children's development. For parents, that means a child's preferred activities can help shape what they explore next.

In November 2023, stories, rhymes and songs were woven through the day to develop speaking and listening. Children remembered characters from favourite stories and chose books independently. Familiar group routines gave structure, while children also selected activities for themselves. There was room for both shared experiences and personal interests.

Number work took a practical form. In November 2023, children counted cards during a game, compared their collections and waited for their turn with the dice. Staff introduced language for comparing length. This connected mathematical ideas with something children were already doing, rather than treating counting as an isolated exercise.

Creative work needs a closer look. During a collaborative tissue-paper activity in November 2023, adults discussed shapes and colours with children, but opportunities to return to the work and extend their own ideas were inconsistent. The distinction matters: joining an adult's planned activity is different from deciding how a creation should develop.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden provided outdoor play in November 2023, alongside regular outings within the local community. Those experiences brought exercise and fresh air into the day. Their educational purpose was less consistent, however, and planning outdoor activities was an improvement priority. Families who value outdoor learning should consider the quality of the activity as well as access to outside space.

Relationships and Communication

A key person works with parents on care and development routines, taking account of how things are done at home. This gives families a specific relationship through which to share their child's habits, interests and needs. Daily updates, weekly newsletters and parents' evenings provide different opportunities to discuss progress, rather than leaving communication to occasional formal meetings.

In November 2023, settling included home visits and introductory sessions adjusted to each child's needs. Staff recognised that starting preschool could be unsettling for parents as well as children. The practical value was individual preparation: the initial contact could be adapted rather than requiring every family to follow an identical start.

Home-learning packs were also part of the November 2023 experience, giving families activities to support learning beyond preschool. Today, the weekly newsletter covers dates and events and names winners of the St Philip's Pre-School Star of the Week and the Lunchtime Award. These named awards give parents another glimpse of preschool life alongside the practical notices.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified additional needs promptly, including SEND, and sought help from other professionals when needed. Current arrangements include SENCO lead and deputy roles, while families can be directed towards other services for support. Those are concrete routes for discussing a child's needs and coordinating help.

In November 2023, staff demonstrated considerate behaviour and encouraged children to become more independent. Children helped friends with aprons and practised putting on coats. These small tasks matter: learning to manage personal care and notice another child's needs is part of preparation for a larger school setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at The Cottage, Ellison Road, Dunston, Gateshead, NE8 2QU. Weekday morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions are from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Full-day attendance uses both sessions, with wraparound lunchtime care between 11.45am and 12.15pm. Children attending for the full day bring a packed lunch from home; lunchtime care is charged separately.

Holidays follow those of St. Philip Neri RC School, although INSET days can differ. For families coordinating more than one child's calendar, that distinction matters: matching holidays does not mean every closure date will match.

Joining begins with an application form, which does not guarantee a place. All the required forms must be returned before a child starts, including medical information, consent and emergency-contact details. Enquiries can be made through the preschool's contact form, email or telephone.

Funding and Paid Extras

Children eligible for the Nursery Education Grant can attend without session charges for up to five three-hour sessions each week. Working parents whose children receive 30-hour funding can use ten three-hour sessions, described as five full-day attendances. The funded session entitlement and the paid lunchtime service are separate parts of the arrangement.

Additional sessions beyond a child's funded entitlement are charged, and invoices are issued every four weeks. Fees can change each term, and booked sessions remain payable when a child is absent because of illness or a holiday. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Attendance at St Philip's Pre-School does not guarantee a place at St Philip Neri primary school. Families should treat preschool enrolment and the later school-place decision as separate matters.

• Outdoor learning and creative freedom. Both were improvement priorities in November 2023. On a visit, ask how garden activities now extend learning and how children can return to creative work to develop their own ideas.
• The full-day lunch arrangement. Parents provide a packed lunch for children attending lunchtime care between morning and afternoon sessions. Include that service when comparing the cost and organisation of full-day attendance.
• Starting with additional needs. Settling was individually tailored in November 2023, and SENCO lead and deputy roles form part of current arrangements. Ask how the key person and SENCO would work together during your child's settling period.
• School-calendar fit. Holidays mirror St. Philip Neri RC School but INSET days may differ, and preschool attendance does not secure a primary-school place. Plan childcare closures and the school application separately.

St Philip's Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those combining both with lunchtime care. Its practical strengths are the key-person relationship, several routes for parent communication and planning built around children's interests. The November 2023 picture adds concrete examples of language, number work and growing independence.

The balance lies in outdoor learning and creative choice. Those improvement priorities deserve attention alongside the Good judgement. For a family choosing this setting, the useful test is how the current day gives children both dependable routines and opportunities to pursue ideas of their own.