Aardvark Pre-School

Child-led exploration and adult-led activities share the day at Aardvark Pre-School, based at St Matthews Church Hall in Upminster. Its approach gives children time to investigate their surroundings at their own pace, with activities intended to develop communication and independence.

The setting accepts children aged 24 to 60 months and has 24 places in total. No Ofsted inspection has been published for this setting yet. It opens during term time, making the school-holiday calendar a practical consideration for families.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework: here, free play and supervised activities are used to encourage language, confidence and independence. The emphasis is on balancing children's own choices with some structure, rather than organising the whole day around adult direction.

Exploration extends indoors and outside. Children are given time to explore at their own pace, an approach that will interest parents looking for play with room for individual interests. The balance between free and structured activity is the clearest thread running through the preschool's approach.

Partnership with parents forms part of the child-centred approach. Emotional, social and physical needs sit alongside learning in its stated aims, so the intended experience encompasses care as well as preparation for school.

For families, the useful distinction is between those aims and an independent assessment of how they work in practice. The approach gives a starting point for a visit conversation; it does not establish a judgement about the quality of care.

The preschool's address is St Matthews Church Hall, Chelmsford Drive, Upminster, RM14 2PH. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07961 765919 or by email at aardvarkpreschool@hotmail.co.uk.

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, across 38 weeks of the year. The preschool closes for school holidays, so its calendar suits families seeking term-time attendance.

Up to 30 hours of free early education entitlement are offered. There is no registration charge or deposit, removing those two upfront costs from joining.

• Holiday cover. Attendance follows term time, with school-holiday closures. Families needing care across the year will need to account for those breaks.
• Funded attendance. The offer includes up to 30 funded hours. That makes funding relevant to the choice, while each family's entitlement remains a separate consideration.
• Visit conversation. How would settling be organised for your child within the preschool's child-centred approach?

Aardvark suits families seeking term-time preschool provision, with a day that balances independent exploration and structured activity. Parent partnership and indoor and outdoor play give its approach a clear direction. The decision rests on whether that approach and the holiday calendar fit the child and family.