St Augustine's Pre-School

St Augustine's Pre-School is based in St Augustine's Church Hall on St Augustines Road, Belvedere. In January 2024, it operated as a sessional pre-school for children aged two to four and had capacity for 30 children.

At the January 2024 inspection, overall effectiveness and each graded area were judged Good: education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Safeguarding arrangements were effective. Children settled well, chose activities that interested them and built confidence through praise and clear behaviour boundaries.

Learning and Named Experiences

The Early Years Foundation Stage, usually shortened to EYFS, provides the framework for a nursery day. It means children learn through play and planned experiences across the areas of learning that prepare them for school. In January 2024, St Augustine's used a broad curriculum shaped around children's ages and stages, with staff clear about what children were intended to learn and why.

Outdoor learning had real substance. Children played ball games, practised spinning hoops, examined insects and planted vegetables. Those experiences gave staff material for questions that helped children remember and extend what they had discovered about the natural world. Familiar rhymes and stories also supported communication and language during play.

Rooms and Ages

In January 2024, provision covered children aged two to four. Shared pre-school experiences included language, outdoor exploration and emotional development.

Relationships were a clear strength in January 2024. Staff gathered detailed information from families when children started, then used it to plan individual care and learning. The inspection also found trusting relationships, gentle interactions and routines that helped children feel safe and happy.

Speech and language support was part of the work with external agencies. Staff used positive interaction to encourage communication, while additional funding helped children who were falling behind to catch up. Children were encouraged to share, take turns and make choices between right and wrong, building emotional development alongside independence.

Two improvement points deserve direct discussion. The January 2024 inspection asked for group activities to be organised more effectively so that children with SEND could access the curriculum and make stronger progress. It also asked for staffing to be deployed more effectively during busy periods so children's learning received consistent support.

St Augustine's Pre-School is based at St Augustine's Church Hall, St Augustines Road, Belvedere, DA17 5HH. In January 2024, it operated from 8.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

In January 2024, the pre-school received funding for free early education for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Families should request a current written quotation for nursery-specific prices and any charge structure.

• Group activities. In January 2024, group time needed more effective organisation for children with SEND. Ask how activities are now adapted so each child can take part and progress.
• Busy periods. Staff deployment during busy times needed improvement in January 2024. Discuss the routines used at the busiest points of the day and who supports children's learning then.
• Term-time rhythm. The January 2024 record gives a weekday 8.30am to 2.30pm operating window during term time. Consider how that rhythm fits family work and holiday arrangements.

This is a Good pre-school with a January 2024 picture shaped by warm relationships, purposeful language support and active outdoor discovery. It is best suited to families seeking a weekday, term-time pre-school experience for a child aged two to four, especially where rhymes, stories, gardening and exploration are appealing parts of the day. The important follow-up questions concern group-time inclusion and staff deployment at busy moments, both named for improvement in January 2024.