Topsy Turvy Preschool

A pack-away preschool with a large role-play area gives Topsy Turvy Preschool its character: in March 2025, children pretended to prepare dinner, made pictures and counted as part of ordinary routines. Play supplied the starting point for learning.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good at its 12 March 2025 inspection. Based at 95 Harwood Avenue in Hornchurch, it has 24 places in total; the children attending at that visit were aged two to four. The strongest practical appeal was the combination of familiar staff relationships, play and personal communication with families.

In March 2025, the curriculum followed a sequence that connected new learning with children's existing knowledge. A space topic gave children facts about planets to recall together, while conversations about household objects linked circles and rectangles to things they recognised. Children predicted how many bricks a tower would need and practised counting during everyday routines.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and daily routines provided opportunities to practise those skills. Group singing included calendar ideas, and older children worked with pencils, glue and shapes to make pictures.

Outdoor play took place daily in March 2025, giving children opportunities to practise movement. There was an important limitation for younger children, however: sensory experiences needed more careful planning to expand imaginative and creative play. That matters when comparing how activities serve different ages.

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, with staff working alongside families and other professionals on targeted help.

In March 2025, each child's key person provided a familiar relationship, and personal handovers kept parents informed. Newsletters explained learning topics and ways to continue them at home. Teachers were invited to meet children ahead of their move to school, making that transition more familiar.

Water and healthy snacks formed part of the March 2025 routine, alongside encouragement to manage personal care independently. Staff modelled behaviour and recognised children's achievements; helping to tidy up gave children a practical part in shared routines.

The address is 95 Harwood Avenue, Hornchurch RM11 2NY. In March 2025, opening hours were 9.15am to 3pm on weekdays, with attendance during term time only. Those hours describe the operating window at that date.

Government-funded childcare was offered in March 2025. For families weighing attendance against working hours, the term-time calendar and afternoon closing time are useful starting points.

• Younger children's creativity. In March 2025, sensory activities needed further development to give younger children more scope for imagination and exploration. During a visit, ask how these experiences now work for the youngest children.
• Communication support. In March 2025, language strategies were applied unevenly for younger children and children learning English as an additional language. Ask how staff adapt conversations and activities to each child's communication needs.
• Attendance fit. The March 2025 operating window was term-time weekdays, ending at 3pm. Which current attendance arrangements would fit your family's week?

Topsy Turvy Preschool suits families drawn to play-based preschool learning and close everyday contact with staff. Its March 2025 picture combined practical mathematics, creative work and familiar key-person relationships. Families considering term-time attendance should weigh that appeal alongside the two clear development priorities: more consistent language support and richer imaginative experiences for younger children.