Hayling Community Pre-School

Growing beans, child-sized ladders and children washing their own snack bowls give Hayling Community Pre-School a practical, hands-on character. In May 2024, everyday play brought together conversation, physical challenges and small responsibilities. Children had opportunities to do things for themselves.

At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that care and learning were personalised, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The setting has capacity for 30 children; those attending at the inspection were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and care, bringing different areas of learning together through play. In May 2024, staff planned activities around children's changing interests and the skills they were ready to learn next.

Conversation had a clear place in that day. Staff described younger children's play aloud, giving them repeated words to hear, while older children developed their vocabulary through longer exchanges. Growing beans became an opportunity to explain the words for different plant parts, connecting language with something children could examine.

Outdoor access gave children room to pursue physical play. In May 2024, children worked together to arrange and climb small ladders, pretending to be builders. Adults supervised and used questions to help them think about safety. The activity combined imagination with decisions about how to tackle a challenge.

In May 2024, children approached adults to share successes, invite them into play and seek help. Staff knew individual children's personalities and responded to their emotional needs, including when they struggled to manage feelings.

Snack routines also gave children responsibility: they chose fruit, poured drinks and washed their bowls and cups afterwards. These were manageable opportunities to practise independence. Relationships with families formed another part of the setting's work in the local community.

The address is Mengham Infant School, St Mary's Road, Hayling Island, PO11 9DD. The pre-school occupies grounds belonging to the school. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

In May 2024, opening hours were 8.30am to 4pm on weekdays, during school terms. At that time, the pre-school provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These arrangements describe the inspection period.

• Quieter children. In May 2024, staff sometimes missed children who were not joining in, so those children lost learning opportunities. Ask how practitioners now recognise and draw quieter children into activities.
• Disagreements during play. Some small conflicts went unnoticed in May 2024, occasionally prompting children to leave an activity. Ask how staff help children resolve disagreements and understand boundaries.
• Attendance planning. The May 2024 timetable operated during school terms. What booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your child's week now?

Hayling Community Pre-School merits consideration for families seeking preschool experiences built around conversation, outdoor challenges and growing independence. Its May 2024 provision combined these opportunities with a Good judgement. The important cautions concern noticing quieter children and responding consistently when play becomes unsettled. For families considering term-time care, those are useful priorities for a visit.