Our Ladys Pre-School

Carrots grown in the garden, caterpillars watched as they develop and visiting animals from Rocky Farm give Our Ladys Pre-School a practical, hands-on character. Its Catholic identity is clear, too: the pre-school shares a site with St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Northfleet and is linked with Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Children from other faiths and communities are welcome.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall. There are 32 places in total, and children are accepted from 2½ years to four, up to Reception age. Morning, afternoon and full day attendance give families different ways to use the setting. The strongest reasons to consider it are the concrete experiences children share, the key person relationship and preparation for everyday independence.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children’s learning, development and care. Play, conversation and practical activities support development; themed weeks add concrete opportunities to investigate living things and explore through imaginative play.

Flowers and Bees Week combined counting and number matching with investigating honeycomb shapes. The Bee Tuff Tray and Wild Flowers Tuff Tray gave children materials to scoop, pour and move between containers. A sunflower made for the classroom door became a way to compare heights, while tasting honey on toast connected the topic with food. These are useful links between early mathematics, careful hand movements and understanding nature.

Weather Week brought pipettes into water experiments and used objects to explore what wind can move. Children also made umbrellas and discussed suitable clothing for different weather. Oceans and Pirates Week paired learning about sea creatures with puzzles and matching activities; its Pirate Day involved a treasure map, clues and hats made by the children. The theme had something to do, rather than simply something to hear about.

Sport Week combined running, jumping, ball games and obstacle challenges. Mini Olympics Day added sporting events and participation medals, giving children shared goals for physical play.

In May 2023, children acted out We're Going on a Bear Hunt and explored materials including bark, wood and pasta. There were also limitations to address: rapid questioning sometimes left too little thinking time, and some younger children could not fully join a large story group. For a younger starter, participation matters as much as the appeal of the activity itself.

Outdoor and Community Life

In the Preschool Garden, children use gardening equipment to plant and water; the summer harvest included carrots, beans and strawberries. Minibeasts Week brought live caterpillars to observe, while Rocky Farm’s day-long garden visit during Farm Week let children feed and care for animals.

People Who Help Us Week explored community jobs through role play and a police van visit. Summer Week included a garden paddling pool and water tray. In May 2023, children also used a mud kitchen, balancing equipment and a bike roadway. Outdoor learning takes several practical forms here.

Relationships and Communication

A key person works with each child and family, helping staff understand interests and plan the next steps in learning. For younger children, settling is approached alongside parents, and a developmental check before the third birthday is shared with the family and kept in the learning journey. That makes the relationship useful beyond the first few sessions.

Tapestry, the online sharing system, keeps a record of learning and progress between home and pre-school. Observations and planned activities also contribute to the learning journey for older children, with parent sessions offering time to exchange information. Parents can share achievements from home, giving staff another part of the picture when planning activities.

Family participation reaches into the activities themselves. Tasting Days brought food from different countries into the Diversity and Inclusion theme, alongside self-portraits and conversations about differences. Father’s Day Celebration welcomed dads, grandads and other special people for poems and songs. The annual Summer Picnic brings families, children and staff together with food and games after the graduation celebration.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Additional needs can be discussed before a child starts, so relevant support can be arranged in advance. The pre-school works with parents and can seek help through local authority links, including Portage, speech and language services and specialist teachers; parental permission is required before accessing these services. These are concrete routes for support, rather than a general assurance that every need will be met.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised support needs promptly, used their language skills and visual cues to help children learning English, and maintained effective safeguarding arrangements. Those judgements belong to that visit. The current arrangements include designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles, while joint Executive Managers have led the setting since April 2026.

Health topics are made practical. Personal Hygiene Education Week used glitter and oil to demonstrate how germs transfer between objects, and Teeth Brushing Week gave children toothbrushes to practise with. Transition Week concentrates on everyday school tasks, including managing shoes and belongings, unpacking lunch boxes and exploring uniforms. Books, visual materials and visits also support moves to another setting, making preparation about familiarity as well as skills.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning, afternoon and full day sessions are offered, with paid hours alongside funded childcare. Entry points fall in September, January and April, and families are contacted approximately two to three months before their intended intake about whether a place can be offered. Application forms can be returned by post or emailed to the pre-school.

Attendance follows a term-time calendar, so families need a separate plan for school holidays. In May 2023, opening hours were 9am to 3.30pm. The collection arrangements allow morning collection at midday unless another arrangement has been agreed, and afternoon collection from 3pm; children are brought to the door while activities continue inside. Uniform is a family choice.

Getting There

The address is Springhead Road, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9QZ, within the primary school grounds. Access is through Shepherd Street, using postcode DA119PR, with an intercom connected directly to the pre-school building.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes 15 hours funded childcare from the term after the third birthday, Free for 2 (FF2) offering eligible children 15 hours from the term after their second birthday, and 30 hours funded childcare for eligible working families. Hours outside funded entitlement are paid for separately; families should obtain a current written quotation, with the charge structure explained on the funding and fees page.

Snacks have two options: parents supply them, or choose separately charged pre-school provision, including during funded attendance. Lunch Club is an optional, separately charged service for children staying beyond their session; funding covers childcare hours and excludes optional extra services.

Sharing grounds with St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Transition activities prepare children for school life rather than conferring an admissions advantage.

• Joining a younger child. Children start from 2½ years, and the May 2023 findings raised questions about younger children’s participation in some large activities. During a visit, ask how group activities are organised for new starters; visits are welcomed between 9.30am and 11.30am.
• Term-time routines. Morning, afternoon and full day patterns sit within a term-time calendar. Match collection arrangements and holiday care with your working week before choosing attendance.
• Catholic life. Easter activities include the story of Jesus Christ, while families of other faiths are welcome. Consider how that religious element fits the experiences you want for your child.
• Food and allergies. Snacks may come from home or be supplied for a separate charge, and Tasting Days involve food brought by families. Allergy-affected families should discuss current food-handling arrangements and how participation is managed.

Our Ladys Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance as well as full day sessions during term time, with Catholic life forming part of the experience. Gardening, visiting animals and practical transition tasks give it substance. The key person system and Tapestry create useful connections with home, while the dated concerns about questioning and group participation provide a clear point to explore for younger children.