Little Bookham & Effingham Preschool

A wooden cabin, a hall classroom and neighbouring woodland give Little Bookham & Effingham Preschool a character that extends well beyond its indoor play space. Based in Effingham, it accepts children aged 1 to 4 and has capacity for 18 children. The surrounding fields are part of the preschool day, rather than simply a pleasant backdrop.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and found safeguarding effective. That assessment predates the September 2026 introduction of care from 12 months, an important distinction for families choosing provision for their youngest children.

The current offer combines morning sessions and full days during term time. Its strongest practical attractions are the choice of collection times, access to outdoor spaces and a system that gives parents regular opportunities to contribute to their child's learning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, alongside experiences involving books, numbers, the wider world and creative expression. Here, Development Matters guidance helps shape the preschool's curriculum, with activities adapted to children's interests and stages of development.

Planning in the Moment supplements termly planning: staff develop emerging interests through questions and further exploration. Accessible resources allow independent and shared play, alongside staff-guided small-group activities.

In June 2023, magnets extended construction play into investigating metal objects; a wooden rainbow supported size ordering and vocabulary. Dough cutters and a pretend oven combined hand skills with imaginative play.

The June 2023 improvement points concerned questioning that developed children's reasoning and activities that deepened their understanding of cultures and diversity. Children's enthusiasm needed to be matched by interactions that took their thinking further.

Outdoor and Community Life

King George V Hall contains the main classroom and a stage for small-group work, quiet time and sleep. A wooden cabin accommodates smaller groups; cushioned artificial grass and a covered shelter support outdoor play through the seasons.

Fields, woods and playgrounds at KGV are used frequently. Outdoor Learning sessions explore plants, wildlife and natural materials through practical activities including cooking. A regularly visited base camp is a 5 minute walk from the Preschool building; outdoor learning requires no road crossings.

Outdoor sessions span different attendance patterns, with notice at the start of the week. Suitable clothing is required; high winds and thunderstorms interrupt the otherwise all-weather approach.

In June 2023, children visited a farm, theme park and school library, took nature walks and used a climbing wall overlooking the local field.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person supports settling and communication with their family, staying with them throughout full-day attendance. Quiet areas and separate sleeping spaces accommodate rest and naps.

For children not yet eligible for funding or attending paid extra hours, the registration charge includes a preschool T shirt and two-hour settling session with one-to-one key-person care.

Tapestry Online Learning Journeys shares photographs, videos and observations, with parents adding experiences from home. The Focus Child approach gives each child closer observation once every half term: parents contribute a questionnaire and photographs beforehand, followed by a conversation or written summary.

In June 2023, home learning packs included a numbered hedgehog with pegs to develop finger control. Conversations, stories and games introduced vocabulary during play, linking preschool learning with activities at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role forms part of the support arrangements. Staff monitor children's development, discuss next steps with parents and use observations to identify where additional help is needed. An initial assessment completed with parents establishes a starting point, making family knowledge part of the process from the outset.

Lunches are prepared fresh, with options such as wraps, eggs, vegetables and fruit; dietary preferences can be accommodated, and families are told when a child has eaten little. The preschool's nut policy asks families to avoid nuts in packed lunches and food packaging.

Collection procedures restrict handover to authorised adults, with identity and password checks for alternative collectors. These are practical arrangements, separate from the dated safeguarding judgement. Children still using nappies are accepted, and staff support those who are potty training, allowing that stage of development to be handled alongside preschool attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is King Georges Hall, Browns Lane, Effingham, Leatherhead, KT24 5ND. Preschool operates Tuesday to Friday for 38 weeks each year, broadly following Surrey school terms, with closures for bank holidays and some polling days. Families need a separate arrangement for Mondays and school holidays.

Morning bookings start at 9am and finish at either 12.30pm or 1.30pm. Two-year-olds can leave before lunch or stay to eat; from age 3, the longer morning is required. Full days run from 9am to either 3.30pm or 4pm, with the later collection including a quieter period and afternoon snack. These are different booking choices, rather than a single opening window.

Children aged 2 must attend at least two sessions on two days each week. Full-day attendance receives booking priority.

Early drop-offs from 8.45am for full-day children are subject to availability and allocated on a first come, first served basis. The main intake is September; January and April starts depend on the position at the time and may not be bookable ahead. Enquiries are handled by email and the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

FEET, Universal 15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds, and the Working Parent Entitlement for children age 12 months + are offered, subject to the relevant eligibility rules. Eligible working families can use up to 30 funded hours each week. Funding runs continuously through the day and can be used across a combination of morning bookings and full days within the term-time offer.

Paid hours can be added beyond a child's funded entitlement. Meals for fee-paying children are charged separately; for funded children, food and non-food consumables sit within a voluntary sessional or daily contribution. That contribution covers items including nappies, wipes and sun cream, together with clothing resources and activities such as outings and home learning packs. FEET children do not pay the consumables contribution.

Families declining the contribution can supply their own personal consumables and outdoor clothing, with an alternatives policy covering shared items. Fully funded children may bring a packed lunch meeting the preschool's meal guidelines without a lunch charge. These alternatives matter when comparing the actual arrangement for a funded child with paid attendance.

Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. The fees and funding page explains the charge structure and payment options; withdrawal or a reduction in attendance requires six term-time weeks of written notice, with fees payable in lieu under the terms.

Getting There

The hall has a large free car park that parents can use during preschool hours. Its adjacent outdoor spaces also reduce the need to travel elsewhere for woodland and field activities.

• Care from 12 months. This age group joined the offer in September 2026, after the June 2023 assessment. During a visit, ask how naps, settling and the toddler area work for the youngest children.
• Final-year attendance agreement. Requirements differ: two full days, four sessions with full days counting as two, or one full day plus another session in the January 2025 terms. Full days receive booking priority. Confirm which attendance agreement applies before committing to a weekly pattern.
• Teaching that stretches thinking. The June 2023 improvement points concerned reasoning and understanding cultures. Ask for examples of how current activities develop both, beyond keeping children interested.
• Outdoor clothing and food choices. Suitable clothing is a condition of joining Outdoor Learning sessions, while funded families can choose contribution or supply arrangements. Agree those practical choices, including any allergy needs, before starting.

Little Bookham & Effingham Preschool suits families seeking term-time mornings or full days, with woodland activity, a small setting and regular contributions to learning from home. The cabin, covered outdoor space and neighbouring grounds give that offer substance. Full-day booking priority favours families planning that attendance pattern. Care from 12 months began after the latest inspection, so that judgement predates the youngest age group's inclusion.