Dauxwood Pre School Group

A garden play road used throughout the year gives Dauxwood Pre School Group a recognisable character: scooters and cars sit alongside a mud kitchen and climbing equipment. This Billingshurst preschool has capacity for 24 children, with an emphasis on preparing children for Reception rather than providing care from babyhood.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its June 2021 inspection. Entry begins in the term after a child turns 2 years and 6 months, making the starting point as important as the age threshold itself. Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions give families different ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

Dauxwood's stated aim is preparation for Reception and primary school, while its approach gives children room to express themselves. School preparation is the purpose; play remains part of the experience. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the areas of learning and assessment points, so preparation includes children's development across those areas rather than school readiness alone.

Practical independence has a place here too. Children are encouraged to manage their personal care, and families are asked to choose clothing that children can handle themselves. Washable clothes are recommended because activities can get messy. Uniform is optional, so a child can come dressed for play rather than needing a prescribed outfit.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden combines a play house and slide with a climbing wall, climbing frame and mud kitchen. Those features provide different possibilities within the same outdoor space: climbing, imaginative play and messy activity. The play road adds another dimension, with scooters and cars used throughout the year.

Family involvement extends beyond the classroom. Family Fun day is a committee event for which parents can help with preparations, stalls and clearing up. Families can also contribute to gardening and maintenance, or help with outings to the local church and primary school. These are concrete ways to participate in preschool life, rather than involvement being confined to formal committee membership.

A volunteer Committee of Trustees helps run Dauxwood, and a full committee is a condition of opening. Families can bring suggestions about the preschool or fundraising to its meetings, giving participation a role in how the setting runs as well as in its social events. For parents considering a trustee role, this is a practical responsibility: the committee supports the operation of the preschool, rather than simply organising occasional celebrations.

Other contributions can be more hands-on. Event helpers prepare cakes, pictures and tables, assist with stalls and food, then put toys away and clean up. Garden help includes planting, clearing leaves and painting the fence or shed. These tasks give families a choice of ways to contribute, from helping at an event to caring for the outdoor space children use. Committee membership is one route into preschool life; practical help is another.

Settling influences the attendance offered. Dauxwood takes account of how ready a child is during settling-in sessions when deciding the hours they can attend. For a younger child, that makes the initial experience relevant to the eventual weekly arrangement, rather than the age threshold alone deciding everything.

A policy covers the key person and settling-in, alongside policies addressing SEND, inclusion, safeguarding and positive behaviour. These give families defined topics for discussing their child's needs. The manager also has SENCO training; that is a specific staff background relevant to conversations about additional support, rather than a claim about outcomes for every child.

Personal care is supported by practical preparations from home. Families supply spare nappies and wipes where needed, together with a change of clothes. Named clothing and weather-appropriate outdoor wear are requested, helping children take part in garden activities while keeping their own belongings identifiable.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Natts Lane, Billingshurst, RH14 9EY. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and all-day attendance from 9am to 3pm. The term calendar includes half-term breaks, so the attendance pattern needs to fit a family's arrangements during school holidays as well as during the working week. Autumn term 2026 runs from 7 September to 18 December, with half term from 26 to 30 October. Those dates give families concrete boundaries for arranging care around preschool attendance.

Registration uses a form, and early registration is encouraged to help plan placements. Children with siblings who attend or previously attended Dauxwood receive priority. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01403 785212 or by email to manager@dauxwood.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Dauxwood accepts the universal 15 hours entitlement and working family hours. A per-session cap applies to children under three, and the preschool cautions that it is unlikely to offer the full 30 hours to an under-three. That qualification matters for families planning to use a working-family entitlement here.

Parents provide nappies and wipes when required.

• Starting age and settling. Children start in the term after turning 2 years and 6 months, and settling-in readiness influences the hours offered. Discuss how the initial sessions would shape your child's attendance.
• Younger children's funded hours. The under-three attendance cap applies per session, and Dauxwood cautions against expecting the full 30 hours for this age group. Build your childcare plan around that qualification.
• Meals and session charges. At a visit, ask how meals are arranged and what charges apply to your intended sessions.

Dauxwood suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting an all-day pattern within its 9am to 3pm opening window. The garden offers concrete variety, and committee events provide opportunities for family participation. Its Reception preparation aim is clear. The decisive practical considerations are the term-based calendar, the starting-age rule and the limits affecting younger children's attendance.