Bouncy Bears Pre-School

A daily garden, bus outings and a weekly cooking day give Bouncy Bears Pre-School a recognisable character: practical play with opportunities to explore beyond the community centre. Based at Springwood Community Centre in Waterlooville, it has capacity for 30 children aged 24 to 60 months. Its appeal rests on what children can do, from making things with dough to discovering places outside their usual play space.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good at its 1 December 2021 inspection. That dated judgement provides useful context, while the current offer combines creative activities, outdoor access and term-time opening. The opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play offering opportunities to practise language, movement and independence. Here, painting, glue-based activities and dough give children different materials to explore. These hands-on experiences give children different materials to explore.

A weekly P.E. session adds a planned opportunity for physical activity, alongside a weekly cooking day. The combination gives movement and practical food experiences a regular place in the week. Activities are planned around individual children's needs.

In December 2021, children experimented with pasta and dough, using equipment to shape their creations. Singing involved instruments as well as voices, and stories gave children opportunities to listen to language. Children also chose activities and practised independence by identifying themselves on arrival and managing their coats. These small tasks made doing things for themselves part of the day.

The December 2021 improvement priorities concerned deeper thinking and understanding healthy living. Adults sometimes moved on too quickly after asking questions, reducing children's opportunity to formulate an answer. More time to consider a problem and put forward an idea was needed, alongside clearer connections between food, health and physical activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children can use the garden daily. Local outings include the park, with bus journeys taking children to the pet shop and library. The bus itself adds another experience beyond the destination, while the different places introduce animals, books and public spaces into children's learning.

In December 2021, outdoor play included climbing frames and chasing games, giving children opportunities to negotiate steps and move across open space. Community outings also included public transport, the library and a pet store. The current outing offer therefore has a practical counterpart in the activities seen at that visit, although no weekly frequency is attached to trips.

At the December 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, the curriculum supportive of children's development, and cooperation with professionals supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well maintained. These are judgements from that visit, rather than an assurance about every aspect of care today.

In December 2021, adults helped children put experiences into words and gently modelled clearer pronunciation. Children sought staff out during play and included them in their activities. Encouragement and reminders about safe behaviour accompanied daily routines, including moving carefully indoors and sitting safely.

Food also provided opportunities to practise independence: in December 2021, children selected fruit using tongs with adult help, and nutritious snacks were provided. However, the connection between healthy eating and wider wellbeing needed more deliberate attention. This is a useful distinction between offering nutritious food and helping children understand why it matters.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Springwood Community Centre, 110 Springwood Avenue, Waterlooville, PO7 8BJ. Bouncy Bears uses the Small hall within the centre.

Opening hours run from 9am until 3pm on weekdays during term time, with closure during school holidays. That calendar is a significant part of the choice: families needing care through the holidays will need arrangements beyond this pre-school's opening pattern. Sessions are allocated in order of application, a booking rule rather than an indication of how many places are free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted for children aged two, three and four, with 15 to 30 funded hours offered within the term-time provision. Private childcare is also offered. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation; funded entitlement and private charges are separate parts of the decision.

• Thinking time. The December 2021 improvement priorities included giving children more room to solve problems and develop their own ideas. During a visit, ask how adults now extend an activity while allowing children time to answer.
• Food and practical supplies. With a weekly cooking day and funded childcare for two-, three- and four-year-olds, ask what the written quotation includes for food and non-food consumables under your intended arrangement.
• Term-time calendar. Weekday opening ends at 3pm, and the pre-school closes during school holidays. Match that timetable to work commitments and holiday care before choosing it.

Bouncy Bears suits families seeking term-time preschool care with creative play, daily garden access and experiences beyond the setting. Its weekly P.E. session and cooking day give the routine useful variety, while outings extend learning into the park, library and pet shop. The Good judgement from December 2021 is balanced by clear improvement priorities around children's thinking and understanding of healthy living. The strongest practical fit is for families whose childcare needs align with the weekday, term-time calendar.