Doris Venner Pre-School

Inclusion gives Doris Venner Pre-School its clearest identity. This term-time, sessional setting runs from the Doris Venner Community Hall in Worcester Park, with two large halls, an outside play area and a smaller Sunshine Class for children with autism, ADHD, social communication difficulties, and speech and language delay. The provider also reports winning the Nursery World Inclusive Practice Award in September 2024.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good in 2024, with Good judgements in education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management; its safeguarding arrangements were effective. The setting has capacity for 50 children and accepts ages two to five. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns are published, all within a term-time model.

The strongest evidence goes beyond labels. In 2024, visual aids helped children of different abilities choose their play, children with speech and language difficulties used symbols and signs alongside speech, and mindfulness activities helped children regulate their feelings. This is a setting whose inclusive intent is visible in specific practice.

Rooms and Ages

Doris Venner is a pre-school rather than a conventional all-day nursery divided into baby, toddler and preschool rooms. Two large halls and an outside play area sit within the community centre. Families should expect a shared, sessional environment for children aged two to five, with activities arranged across those spaces.

Sunshine Class is the one named provision. It is smaller and designed for children needing support connected with autism, ADHD, social communication, or speech and language. The website does not publish its capacity, normal group size or staffing pattern.

Learning and Named Experiences

The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage, using Development Matters in planning. In practical terms, adults plan from children's prior learning and play, then adapt challenge and access so children can build communication, physical skills, confidence, relationships and early understanding through play rather than formal lessons. The pre-school describes a free-flow approach, giving children choices across activities and spaces.

The 2024 evidence gives that model some useful texture. Children made pretend fried eggs and pizzas at the outdoor mud kitchen. A named suitcase challenge encouraged them to share ideas during group time. Adults used pictures, signs and other visual prompts to open choices to children who communicate in different ways. Mindfulness sessions added a deliberate route into recognising and regulating emotions.

There was also a clear development point. Staff identified suitable learning intentions but did not always keep planned activities focused closely enough on those aims in 2024. The recommendation was for leaders to support staff in delivering intended learning more successfully. The recommendation made activity planning and staff coaching a clear development priority.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outside play area supports the website's free-flow model, and the two halls provide generous indoor space for a sessional pre-school. In 2024, leaders wanted to enrich outdoor experiences further, especially for children drawn to the natural world. This made the balance of outdoor and indoor learning a development priority.

As a registered charity, the pre-school also organises fundraising and social events. Its published examples include a Christmas fayre, nativity, Easter egg hunt, quiz night and spring or summer fayre. These activities indicate a parent community that contributes to resources and shared occasions, although the precise calendar can change from year to year.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person. Staff collect information from parents about learning and care needs, and this helped adults build strong relationships. Parents received information about progress and gaps in learning, while families valued children's academic, social and personal gains.

Parental participation includes questionnaires, outings, picnics and rotas. This is more active than a model based only on collection-time updates. Families who enjoy joining community events may value it; those with limited daytime flexibility should ask what participation is optional and how the setting communicates when parents cannot attend.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Inclusion is the setting's most convincing strength. The Sunshine Class provides a smaller environment, while the wider pre-school uses differentiated planning and visual communication. In 2024, staff working with children who had additional needs liaised with other professionals, including an early-years adviser. Symbols and signs supported speech, and children gained confidence in making choices.

Daily care was purposeful too. Staff supervised children closely, gently reinforced safe routines at snacks and meals, and encouraged handwashing before food. Praise motivated play, while consistent expectations supported behaviour. Safer-recruitment procedures were thorough and safeguarding knowledge was shared across the team.

One administrative safeguarding-related lapse was recorded: Ofsted had not been told promptly about trustee changes, delaying suitability checks. The provider had put this right by the report date, and safeguarding arrangements were judged effective. This was resolved rather than recorded as a current restriction.

Sessions and Attendance

The pre-school operates during term time at The Venner Youth & Community Centre, The Manor Drive, Worcester Park, KT4 7LG. Standard morning sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm, afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and full days from 9.15am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Funded hours can be arranged as five mornings, five afternoons, or two full days plus a 2.5-hour half day. A breakfast club runs from 8am to 9.15am and may be booked half-termly or ad hoc; the prospectus describes places as limited and first come, first served. Additional session requests must be made in writing, and half a term's notice is required when a place is no longer needed.

Funding and Paid Extras

Universal funding is offered for three- and four-year-olds, extended entitlement for eligible working families, and two-year-old funding for eligible families. The funding information also refers to working-family funding from nine months, but the branch's published age range remains two to five.

Funded attendance can be combined with additional paid sessions. The fees page separates session types, breakfast club, lunch club and snack-café contributions; current numeric prices are deliberately best confirmed with the pre-school. Parents provide a packed lunch for lunch club.

Getting There

The setting is in the community centre on Manor Drive in Worcester Park.

• Sunshine Class arrangements. The smaller provision is a distinctive option, but no capacity, group size or usual staffing pattern is published. Ask how placement works and how support is tailored across a child's week.
• Planned learning. The 2024 development point asked leaders to improve how consistently staff deliver the learning intended in planned activities. Ask what coaching and monitoring have changed since then.
• Term-time attendance. The setting closes in school holidays. Compare the morning, afternoon, full-day and half-day funded patterns with the cover your family needs across the whole year.
• Food and extras. Parents provide a packed lunch for lunch club, with separate snack and club categories. Current written terms should show what applies to funded and privately paid hours.

Doris Venner Pre-School suits families seeking term-time, sessional care with unusually explicit inclusion support. Sunshine Class, visual communication, close work with other professionals and the two-hall community setting distinguish it from a generic preschool offer. The Good 2024 judgement gives reassurance while also identifying a precise improvement point around planned learning.

Its timetable works for families needing regular mornings, afternoons or full days, with funded half-day combinations and a breakfast-club extension. It will be less natural for anyone needing year-round or late-afternoon care. For the right schedule, this is a purposeful community pre-school whose strongest case rests on choice, communication and support for children with differing needs.