Holbrook Community Pre-school

Storytelling, messy play and creative construction give Holbrook Community Pre-school its character: children have several ways to explore an idea, from making something to acting it out. Based at North Heath Hall in Horsham, it has 28 places in total. This is a community pre-school with a practical emphasis on play and growing independence.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and reported progress for children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those learning English as an additional language. Children attending then were aged two to four. That age range describes the inspection cohort rather than a separate baby-care offer.

Morning and full sessions give families different attendance options. The strongest picture of the children's day combines books, hands-on activities and time outdoors, with a clear improvement point around making teaching more consistent.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage brings learning, development and care together: play, conversation and everyday routines become opportunities to build children's skills. Crafts, storytelling, messy play and construction provide the current activity mix, giving children different ways to express ideas rather than relying on one kind of task.

In January 2025, children chose a story for shared reading, acted out The Three Little Pigs and discussed which materials would make a house strong. Questions about which materials would make a house strong connected the story to thinking and discussion. The book became a starting point for practical exploration, rather than simply something to listen to.

Independence also featured in the January 2025 day. Children helped prepare snacks, counted fruit and cups for their friends, put their belongings away and practised putting on coats. These are small jobs with a clear purpose: children take part in the group's routines while practising counting and doing more for themselves. Preparation for the next stage of education was built into those ordinary tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

In January 2025, outdoor play included opportunities to run around, alongside regular walks connected with learning topics. Children also visited a local church and spent time with residents at a nearby retirement home. Those encounters took their experience beyond the pre-school group and introduced contact with people of different ages. The walks were regular; the church and retirement-home visits carried no stated frequency.

In January 2025, the key-person arrangement centred on knowing children and their families well. Staff helped parents when separation was difficult, and children sought comfort from familiar adults when upset. For a child learning to spend time away from home, that combination of family knowledge and an approachable adult matters as much as the activity plan.

Kind behaviour was modelled through everyday interactions in January 2025. Adults treated children respectfully, while children practised treating each other and shared resources with care. Staff also talked with families about children's home lives, connecting the pre-school day with what was happening outside it.

The staff structure includes safeguarding-lead responsibilities and a SENCO / INCO role. These give safeguarding and inclusion defined responsibilities within the team. In January 2025, eight staff worked at the setting, five with early-years qualifications up to level 6; these are dated staffing details, rather than a measure of today's group size or staffing deployment.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.45am to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday. Families can choose mornings or full sessions, with flexibility within the opening window. The distinction matters: a morning booking offers a different attendance pattern from staying for the full session.

In January 2025, the pre-school operated during term time and provided government-funded early education for children aged two to four. That is the dated funding and calendar position. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is North Heath Hall, St. Marks Lane, Horsham, RH12 5PU. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email at holbrookpreschool@gmail.com or by telephone on 07745 624595.

• Consistency of teaching. The January 2025 inspection identified uneven teaching interactions and asked for stronger staff coaching and monitoring so children received more consistent help to extend their learning. At a visit, ask how coaching now shapes everyday conversations and activities.
• The shorter attendance window. Opening hours finish at 2.45pm, with morning and full-session choices. Consider how that finish fits your working day and ask which booking pattern would suit your child.
• Funding and the complete quotation. Funded education was part of the January 2025 provision. Ask for a written quotation explaining the current entitlement arrangements and the treatment of meals, non-food consumables and any additional hours.

Holbrook suits families looking for morning attendance or full sessions within an early-afternoon finish. Its current activity mix gives children scope to make, tell stories and experiment; the January 2025 account adds concrete examples of independence, shared reading and community contact. The teaching-consistency concern deserves attention alongside those strengths. This is a useful choice for parents who value a community pre-school day and whose routines fit its opening window.