Partridge Green Pre-School

A village hall with two outdoor spaces, a quieter growing area and children moving freely between indoors and outside gives Partridge Green Pre-School its character. The mud kitchen, play house, bikes and scooters make outdoor play a substantial part of the offer. This is also a charity where families can help shape decisions, rather than simply receive a service.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and disabilities received good support. It has 26 places in total and operates from the Village Hall on High Street, Partridge Green, RH13 8HX.

The strongest practical combination is term-time attendance with no minimum booking requirement. That gives families room to build a pattern around their needs, although booked hours carry payment obligations and leaving requires a term’s notice.

Learning and Activities

EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for the day: children learn through play across areas including language, physical development, mathematics and creative expression. Activities change daily, and free-flow play lets children move between the hall and outdoor provision independently. Learning can follow a child’s interest across different spaces rather than stopping at the door.

The Special Helper role gives children a turn at practical responsibility, including helping with snack preparation and signalling when to tidy up. Stories, songs, group games, early number work and phonics feature in circle time. A lending collection also lets children choose books to enjoy at home, extending the day’s interest in reading into family life.

In January 2024, children investigated melting ice by placing it in sunshine, shaped dough and drew family portraits with attention to facial details. These were concrete experiences with materials, movement and observation. Staff also supported safe use of an indoor climbing frame and taught children how to prepare grapes safely at snack time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two outdoor spaces are reserved for the pre-school’s use. Water play and the mud kitchen support hands-on exploration, while bikes and scooters offer movement; the quieter nature area is used for growing fruit and vegetables. Free-flow access gives children a choice of pace as well as activity.

The programme includes Forest school at Jolesfield common woods, taking learning into a woodland setting, and an Easter walk along the Downs link. Other destinations include the Fire station and Homelands Equestrian. These outings connect children’s experiences with places beyond the hall; they are part of the offer, rather than a promise of a fixed weekly schedule.

Visitors sometimes include a dental nurse, fire crews, the sensory bus and animals. Cooking, gardening and music or dance add further practical experiences. In January 2024, children harvested vegetables they had grown and ate them at snack time, linking the growing process with something they could taste.

Relationships and Communication

A key person supports each child, with another practitioner able to help when needed. Independence is encouraged once children have settled, including looking after their belongings. Families can speak with staff at collection, giving everyday communication a straightforward place in the routine.

In January 2024, parents knew their child’s key person and understood what their children were learning. Games could go home to continue an activity beyond the pre-school. Children also shared photographs and news from home during group time, making their family experiences part of the conversation.

The current staffing structure allows senior staff to work directly with children during sessions. A teacher leads the team, and staff undertake ongoing training. For families, the practical point is that leadership also participates in the children’s day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The deputy manager holds the SEN coordinator role, and the team includes child-protection lead responsibilities and paediatric first-aid training. In January 2024, the coordinator worked with other professionals and additional funding supported individual children. These are specific support mechanisms, rather than a blanket assurance about every child’s needs.

Personal care also becomes an opportunity to practise independence. In January 2024, children used picture prompts for handwashing, managed the toilet area independently and practised putting on coats themselves. Such small tasks give children repeated opportunities to do things for themselves.

Lunch comes from home as a packed meal, eaten together with staff and other children; the rolling snack offers fruit, crackers, water and milk. Shared mealtimes combine conversation with opportunities to practise everyday choices.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. There is no minimum attendance requirement. Collection points fall at noon, 1pm, 3pm and 4pm, allowing the day to end at different stages of the routine.

Once weekly hours are booked, payment remains due if a child misses attendance. Fees are invoiced monthly, and individual payment arrangements can be requested. A term’s notice applies when a family ends attendance, so the flexibility at the start of booking sits alongside a longer commitment when leaving.

Enquiries and child registration use online forms. The setting’s address is the Village Hall, High Street, Partridge Green, RH13 8HX.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds and up to 30 hours for eligible children aged three and over. Free Entitlement for older children begins in the term following their third birthday; extra hours are paid privately. Funding can be shared between settings, and there are no top-up fees.

Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. The fees page sets out attendance and payment terms. A welcome pack containing clothing and a bookbag can be purchased, while uniform is optional and can be bought separately or second-hand.

Family and Community Involvement

Parents and guardians of attending children become family members of the charity. They can participate in general meetings, elect the management committee and stand for election themselves. Fundraising proceeds support equipment and resources, giving family involvement a concrete purpose.

Partridge Green Pre-School Munchkins is a separate family group at St Michael's Church Hall, welcoming children from birth to school age. It runs on term-time Thursdays from 10am to 11.30am, with a pre-school staff member running the session and a separate family charge.

• Term-time planning. Opening runs from 8am to 4pm on weekdays during term time. Families needing care during school holidays will need an attendance plan that accounts for that calendar.
• Flexibility and commitment. There is no minimum attendance requirement, but booked hours remain payable during absence and leaving requires a term’s notice. Consider both terms when choosing a weekly pattern.
• Children’s reasoning. The January 2024 improvement points concerned explaining the reasons behind rules and giving children more time to work out solutions. At a visit, ask how staff now build those opportunities into play and everyday boundaries.
• Packed lunches and snacks. Families provide lunch, while children choose from a rolling snack. If your child has an allergy or dietary need, discuss how both arrangements will work for them.

Partridge Green Pre-School suits families seeking term-time preschool care with outdoor choice, practical independence and a genuine role in the organisation’s decisions. The combination of woodland experiences, growing food and free-flow play gives the offer substance.

The lack of a minimum attendance requirement is useful for families building their own weekly pattern. Balance that flexibility against the term-time calendar, absence charges and notice period. The January 2024 improvement points also provide a clear subject for a visit: how adults help children understand rules and persist with a challenge.