St Johns Pre-School

A garden water wall and experiments with ice gave St Johns Pre-School a practical, playful character in June 2023. Children explored how water moved through pipes and tested whether sunshine would release toys frozen in ice. Ordinary materials became reasons to investigate.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 27 June 2023 and judged safeguarding effective. On Carter Street in Sandown, it accepts children aged 24 to 60 months. Its opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with school holidays closed.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the June 2023 examples show learning through play, conversation and practical exploration. Staff developed activities around children's interests, adding questions and ideas rather than simply providing materials.

In June 2023, water play introduced ideas about volume, while counting fingers gave children practice with number order. Adults allowed time for answers and introduced unfamiliar vocabulary. These were opportunities to connect language and mathematics with something children were already doing.

The garden offered chasing games and a slide in June 2023. Manipulating dough and drawing with chalk or pens exercised the hand muscles used for writing. Regular dance-teacher sessions also formed part of the experience, alongside conversations about exercise and sorting foods by their health benefits.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND benefited from small-group work on attention and social interaction, supported by the SENCo's links with external agencies and the local authority SENCo. That gives families a concrete picture of the support observed then.

In June 2023, staff recognised children who needed extra reassurance while settling. Parents knew their child's key person, and everyday conversations and messages supported communication. Assessments were shared, but individual learning priorities did not consistently reach parents, making it harder to build on nursery learning at home.

Staff supervision and training plans were in place in June 2023. However, some practitioners still needed development opportunities to deepen their understanding of their responsibilities. Both communication about learning and staff development were improvement priorities.

The address is Carter Street, Sandown, PO36 8BL. The term-time opening window suits families organising care around the school calendar; it also means planning separately for holiday periods.

In June 2023, the setting received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated description of participation, rather than a promise of a funded place.

• Learning updates. Sharing individual learning priorities consistently was a June 2023 improvement point. Clear next steps would help families connect home activities with nursery learning.
• Staff development. In June 2023, some practitioners needed further opportunities to understand their responsibilities. This matters alongside the positive account of everyday interactions.
• Term-time planning. Opening hours run from 9am to 3pm, with school holidays closed. At a visit, what attendance and funding arrangements would apply to your child's planned week?

St Johns Pre-School suits families seeking term-time care within a school-hours window. Its June 2023 portrait combines practical investigation, garden play and attentive relationships, balanced by specific development needs around parent updates and staff responsibilities. Those dated examples are more useful than the grade alone.