St Clare's Pre-School

Balls rolling down guttering became a mathematics lesson at St Clare's Pre-School in December 2025: children explored movement, considered why larger balls became stuck and practised mathematical vocabulary. Practical play had a clear teaching purpose.

At its 11 December 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership to be Strong standard, with safeguarding standards met. The pre-school has capacity for 50 children; those attending at the inspection were aged 3 to 4.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning and everyday care together. In December 2025, staff used water play and play dough to extend vocabulary, modelled conversation and helped children match objects with numbers. Learning was woven into play as well as taught directly.

Community experiences also featured that December. Children had opportunities to explore woodlands and use public transport, while a partnership with a residential home for people with dementia introduced contact between generations. These experiences broadened the people and places children encountered beyond the setting.

Independence was another practical emphasis. In December 2025, children chose outdoor clothing suited to the weather and understood the sequence of their day. Predictable routines gave them opportunities to manage familiar tasks themselves.

At the December 2025 inspection, Ofsted found excellent progress from children's starting points, including confident signing among children with SEND, alongside prompt individual support plans and coordinated work with medical teams and speech and language therapists.

That December, staff worked with families on translation so that information could be understood, and adapted activities to accommodate specialist equipment. Support addressed participation as well as communication.

Toilet training received practical attention in December 2025, with a practitioner assigned to hygiene support throughout the day. Activities using toothbrushes, water and glitter introduced oral health and germs, while handwashing before eating reinforced the learning. Staff also discussed emotions and explained how children's actions affected others.

The address is 10 Strouden Court, Warren Park, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 4JX.

In December 2025, opening hours were 7am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. These describe the inspection-time opening window rather than a choice of bookable sessions.

• Support with lasting impact. The December 2025 next step was to sustain high standards and make a greater difference for disadvantaged children, children with SEND and those facing other barriers. Families should look for how individual plans translate into progress over time.
• Age and attendance fit. Children attending in December 2025 were aged 3 to 4, and the opening window then ended at 4pm. At a visit, ask which ages and attendance arrangements now fit your child's needs.

St Clare's merits consideration for families who value practical learning, growing independence and coordinated individual support. The December 2025 picture combines purposeful play with community experiences and careful attention to everyday routines. Its next priority is the lasting difference that work makes for children facing barriers to learning and wellbeing.