Wingle-Tye Pre-School

Pouring drinks, choosing play and helping prepare snacks give Wingle-Tye Pre-School a practical emphasis on independence. This is the Wingle-Tye I setting at Nelmes School in Hornchurch, with capacity for 24 children and care starting from age two. Everyday tasks are part of the learning.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) made progress with additional support. The same visit identified weaknesses in extending mathematical learning, clarifying the purpose of activities and notifying a company director appointment. Those points belong alongside the positive judgement.

Term-time attendance can be a morning, an afternoon or a full day. That gives families a choice between shorter sessions and a day spanning both parts of the programme.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for care and education: children develop language, physical skills and social understanding through play and everyday experiences. At Wingle-Tye I, children help choose the toys used each day, while activities also connect with topics and themes. Their interests influence the schedule rather than simply filling gaps between adult-led activities.

The welcome bird gives name recognition a concrete purpose: children find their name and place it on the bird to register themselves. Pictured coat pegs provide another way to recognise their own belongings. These are small, repeatable responsibilities, linking early literacy with doing things independently.

Story, discussion and music periods vary through the week. Children share news, hear stories, sing, dance and use instruments, so communication happens through movement and conversation as well as listening. In December 2023, story reading included pauses for children to supply words, questions about their favourite parts and actions illustrating the narrative. Books invited participation.

Mathematics needed more challenge in December 2023. Children recognised number cards, but a chance to extend hopscotch into backwards counting and early subtraction was missed. Staff also needed to make the intended learning clearer when planning activities, rather than concentrating on the finished item. Enjoyment and a completed piece of work were not enough on their own.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor play extends across the rooms, with access to an outdoor area during free play. Balance beams, hoops, bean bags and chalking sit alongside dressing up, the home corner and playdough. The combination gives children choices involving movement, pretend play and making things, rather than keeping the day at tables.

Quiet time follows lunch, with books, puzzles and less energetic resources. Afternoon play uses different resources from the morning, making the full day more than a repeat of the earlier session. The schedule varies across the week and takes account of what children want to do.

Each child has a keyworker who follows their development and reports to parents during the year. Staff undertake continuing training, and the team includes designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles, a SENDCO role and a lead for two-year-olds. These responsibilities give parents identifiable roles for conversations about development, additional needs and welfare.

In December 2023, staff used children's interests to draw them into activities, and familiar routines helped them settle. Where communication was difficult, adults allowed time to understand what a child was trying to express. Staff also exchanged information with other settings children attended, an important practical connection for families dividing care between providers.

Independence is built into snack preparation: children help with food, set out drink jugs and practise choosing a seat and pouring a drink. Families provide packed lunches for full-day and afternoon attendance, while snacks carry a separate voluntary charge. Lunch therefore remains a task for home rather than part of a prepared meal service.

The safeguarding arrangements include procedures for medication, medical needs and allergies, emergency collection passwords and supervised visitors. These are practical policies rather than a guarantee about an individual child's experience. For a child needing medication or a different collection arrangement, the relevant procedure matters as much as the daily timetable.

Enhanced Learning Resources are a separately charged, voluntary addition supporting theme work; photographs of activities go into Learning Journals that families receive. This gives parents a tangible account of their child's experiences. Reasonable alternatives are offered to families opting out of voluntary charges.

Sessions and Attendance

Wingle-Tye I operates at Nelmes Junior & Infant School, Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 3BX. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Full day care runs from 9am to 3pm, morning care from 9am to noon and afternoon care from noon to 3pm. Attendance is term-time, with funded provision delivered over 38 weeks.

A waiting list is used. When applications exceed places, returning children have priority; location and age are considered for new admissions. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01708 478449. Attending this pre-school on a school site does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the qualifying two-year-old entitlement of 15 hours and working-family funding of 30 hours, alongside Universal funding of up to 15 hours and Extended funding of up to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds. Funding is delivered over 38 weeks only, within agreed weekly sessions, rather than stretched or used for ad hoc attendance.

Parents sign a declaration each term, including details of funded hours used with another provider. Extended funding eligibility must be reconfirmed every three months. These administrative steps matter because the agreed pattern and continuing eligibility affect how the funded hours are used.

Private sessions and hours beyond the funded entitlement are charged, with fees payable in advance each half-term, including periods of illness and holidays. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Snacks, Enhanced Learning Resources and visiting entertainers carry voluntary charges, with alternatives for families who opt out; funded care and education are not reduced for those children. Four weeks' notice is required to give up a place.

• A term-time timetable. The day finishes at 3pm and funding runs over 38 weeks. Families needing care later in the afternoon or during holidays should weigh that boundary against their working pattern.
• Learning beyond the activity. In December 2023, backwards counting, subtraction and clearer learning intentions needed attention. During an appointment to visit with your child, ask staff to demonstrate how they now extend mathematical play and explain what an activity is teaching.
• Director notification. In December 2023, a new director appointment had not been notified for the required suitability checks; the person had not fully taken up the role and there was no impact on children at that point. The action carried a deadline of 29 December 2023. Ask how director changes are handled now.
• Voluntary extras. Snacks, Enhanced Learning Resources and visiting entertainers are charged separately on a voluntary basis. Decide whether to use those additions or the reasonable alternatives when agreeing the attendance costs.

Wingle-Tye Pre-School suits families seeking term-time mornings, afternoons or full days, with children taking an active part in choosing play and managing everyday tasks. Its appeal lies in those practical routines: preparing snacks, recognising names and moving between active play and quieter resources.

The December 2023 Good judgement gives the review a positive foundation, but the mathematical teaching and director-notification findings deserve attention. For parents whose schedules fit the school-day hours, this is a useful combination of shorter attendance options, funded provision and a day designed around increasing independence.