Jack and Jill's Pre-School

A charity-run pre-school at Darwin Hall, Jack and Jill's combines family participation with practical preparation for school. Volunteer trustees help run the organisation, while parents and relatives can contribute activities such as baking, planting and making bird feeders. This gives families a role beyond handing over their child each morning.

At its 2 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good across all judgement areas and found safeguarding effective. There were clear improvement priorities too: activities needed to hold children's attention better, teaching needed greater adjustment for different ages and abilities, and behaviour expectations needed more consistent handling.

There are 21 places in total, distinct from the number attending any particular session. Morning and full-day attendance run during term time, making the pre-school relevant to families building childcare around the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the basis for daily activities, covering children's communication, physical and emotional development alongside early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding of the world. It is the shared early-years framework; here, children's own interests also help shape their learning.

Activity tables give children choices, with some left clear for them to decide what to do. Key-person groups bring children together for singing, games and circle time. A musical cue signals tidying up, followed by a shared story. These routines balance independent choices with moments when children take part together.

In October 2024, staff used familiar stories to explore characters' feelings and extended children's vocabulary during play, including words such as rhythm and amplify. Role play and dressing up were also part of the day. The limitation was engagement: some activities failed to sustain attention, and teaching did not consistently stretch older children or keep younger ones involved. That distinction matters more than the number of activities on offer.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secure outdoor area changes theme from day to day, with outdoor play encouraged through the year except in heavy rain or icy conditions. In summer, children use a gazebo and take part in organised water-play days requiring swimwear, towels and sun cream. Children therefore need clothing suitable for active, sometimes messy play.

In October 2024, outdoor water activities involved children working together with containers and tubing, taking turns as they moved water between them. This gave cooperation a practical purpose rather than leaving sharing as an abstract instruction.

Family participation adds another dimension. Relatives can contribute an activity or spend time playing alongside the children; examples include baking, planting seeds and making feeders for birds. The invitation is flexible, allowing an hour or a longer contribution according to the family's circumstances.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who observes their development and uses their interests to plan activities. A learning journey brings assessments together, and families are encouraged to contribute experiences from home. This creates a route for connecting what a child does at pre-school with what parents notice elsewhere.

Taster and settling sessions are offered before children start. The staff structure includes a manager and practitioners, with volunteer trustees responsible for the organisation's direction and policy. Staff undertake continuing training; individual staff names are less useful to a family than understanding who takes responsibility for their child and how that relationship works.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified developmental delays early, agreed targets with parents and other professionals, and supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress. This was a concrete support process, involving assessment and shared targets rather than a general promise of inclusion.

In October 2024, children had a designated space for discussing emotions, supported by colour monsters that helped them recognise feelings. Staff also sat close to upset children and offered reassurance. Children practised managing shoes and serving their own snacks, giving everyday independence a place alongside emotional support.

Families must notify staff if someone other than those named on the contact sheet will collect their child. In that situation, the nominated carer must give staff the confidential password before the child is released into their care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Darwin Hall, Heathcot Place, Lichfield, WS13 6RQ. Attendance runs Monday to Friday for 38 weeks of the year, following the local school calendar. Standard sessions begin at 9am, with a pre-arranged Early Start from 8.30am to 9am.

The Morning Session runs from 9am to noon. The Full Day Session lasts from 9am to 2.30pm, while the Afternoon Session, noon to 2.30pm, is offered only as an addition to the morning. That condition matters: the afternoon is not a separate short booking option.

Applications can be made up to two years before the intended start, with January and September the main intakes. An application form is returned by hand or post, and a non-refundable administration charge accompanies it. Enquiries can be sent to manager@jackandjillslichfield.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 15 government funded hours per week from the term after a child's third birthday; the pre-school also handles enquiries about 30-hour funding, subject to eligibility. Delivery is term-time, and additional hours can be purchased. Funding entitlement and extra paid attendance are separate parts of the arrangement.

Parents supply packed lunches, while snacks carry an optional separate charge and milk is supplied through the free milk for children scheme. The lunch policy asks families to avoid nuts, sweets and fizzy drinks; food cannot be reheated, and an ice pack is requested in summer.

Non-food consumables also carry an optional separate charge. Lunch Club, which helps children practise eating and managing their lunch belongings with staff support, is offered once children qualify for their 15 funded hours and carries an additional charge. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure explained on the sessions and fees page.

Paid sessions are invoiced ahead of the following half term, with payment due before the current half term ends. Payment plans are offered, while late payment and collection without advance notification attract additional charges.

• Teaching across ages. The October 2024 priorities concerned engagement, suitable challenge and consistent behaviour strategies. During a visit, ask how one activity is adapted for younger and older children and how staff maintain shared expectations.
• Starting age. The sessions and fees information welcomes children from two, while the home-page age range begins at two-and-a-half. These entry ages conflict, so confirm the applicable starting age before applying.
• School-calendar childcare. Attendance covers 38 weeks, and the afternoon session must accompany a morning booking. Families needing holiday care or a separate afternoon pattern should weigh those restrictions against their timetable.
• Packed lunches and allergies. Lunch comes from home, and the food policy excludes nuts. Allergy-affected families should confirm current handling arrangements, including how staff manage children's packed lunches.

Jack and Jill's suits families seeking either morning sessions or a longer pre-school day within term time, with an early-start addition when arranged. Family involvement, a key-person relationship and practical independence give the offer a clear shape. The October 2024 teaching priorities remain the most useful test of fit: children need activities that engage them and challenge them appropriately, alongside the caring routines.