Hook Pre-School

A shared church hall, an adjacent park and a family of take-home monkeys give Hook Pre-School its character. Based at Hook Parish Hall in Chessington, it combines a daily changing play space with activities that connect home and preschool. Resources are set out and packed away each day, and other hirers use the premises outside preschool hours.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged Hook Pre-School Good overall, with children keen to participate, a curriculum shaped around their interests and larger-group activities needing better planning to engage different ages and needs. That last point matters: individual interests were being supported, but bringing everyone together did not consistently work as well.

There are 40 places in total. In June 2022, the children attending were aged two to four. Hook Pre-School is a private sessional preschool. Morning and afternoon sessions provide different attendance options, with a lunch club between them on specified days.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play across different areas of development. Here, resources are arranged in zones each day so children can choose activities independently, alongside experiences directed by adults. The practical appeal is choice: children can follow an interest rather than depend on everyone doing the same thing together.

Imaginative play, creative work and physical activity feature in the curriculum. A kitchen area supports regular cooking, adding a practical activity to the play provision. Equipment is set out afresh each day in activity zones within the shared hall.

Meet the Monkeys connects learning at home with conversation in the setting. Journey Jim, Jez, Jo and Jane go home with children, accompany family outings and return with news recorded in a diary. That diary is shared each day, giving children something personal to talk about and their friends something to listen to. The home contribution becomes part of the preschool day.

In June 2022, older children developed ideas through making stories and writing, while younger children worked with dough. These were different routes towards early writing: one involved expressing ideas, the other hands-on activity. Staff also listened closely during storytelling and supplied examples of language children could use.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children have daily access between the indoor provision and the Outdoor Area, where planting and role play can follow their interests. The adjacent park adds space for ball games and walks centred on sounds or nature. These are outings from the hall, rather than claims about a large private garden.

The annual Sports day and Teddy Bears Picnic also use the park. Together, the outdoor area and park give the preschool two different settings for activity: one attached to the daily provision, the other offering more room for movement and shared events.

In June 2022, the key-person arrangement helped staff understand children's abilities and choose activities around individual needs. Children approached adults for help and comfort, and older children helped younger ones with tidying. Those examples make the care relationship concrete: familiar adults supported children emotionally as well as through activities.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and good support for children with SEND, including collaboration with families and other agencies and signing to support communication. These are dated findings, rather than an assurance about present practice. A SENCO role also forms part of the staff structure.

Parents' meetings took place each term in June 2022, alongside open days involving families. This gave parents a scheduled opportunity to discuss development, in addition to information about daily activities. The take-home monkey diary provides a separate connection in the other direction, bringing family experiences into children's conversations.

At that time, the team comprised nine staff, seven holding relevant childcare qualifications at levels two to four. Those figures describe the team in June 2022; they do not establish today's staffing or the number of adults working with any particular group.

A snack cafe supplies healthy food and drinks, with children choosing when to use it during free play. Snack preparation takes place in the kitchen area, which also serves the cooking activities. The arrangement gives children a practical opportunity to make choices within their day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hook Parish Hall, Hook Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 1PL. Enquiries can be made by email to hookpreschool@hotmail.com.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday. Afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Thursday, with Friday afternoons closed. Lunch Club runs between noon and 12.30pm from Monday to Thursday, sitting between the two session windows.

The distinction is useful for planning: a Friday morning follows the same timetable as other mornings, while afternoon attendance has a different weekly pattern. Lunch Club provides a separate midday arrangement rather than changing the published start of the afternoon session. In June 2022, the preschool operated during term time.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free Early Education is offered for three- and four-year-olds, with free places for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility is part of the younger children's offer, so it should not be read as an entitlement for every two-year-old.

Private paid sessions are also offered. Families should obtain a current written quotation for prices before making a booking decision. Funding and private attendance are separate considerations: the funded offer identifies eligible age groups, while the session timetable sets out the attendance windows.

• Shared hall. Resources are set out and packed away daily, and other hirers use the premises outside preschool hours. On a visit, how are children's projects and familiar resources carried forward between sessions?
• Different weekly patterns. Mornings run Monday to Friday, but afternoons and Lunch Club run Monday to Thursday. Families planning afternoon attendance need to account for the Friday closure.
• Group participation. In June 2022, larger-group activities did not consistently hold every child's interest. How are group activities now adapted for younger children and different communication needs?

Hook Pre-School suits families looking for morning or afternoon preschool sessions, with a separate Lunch Club arrangement on Monday to Thursday. Its character comes from flexible use of a shared hall, daily outdoor access and park activities.

The take-home monkeys are an engaging connection between family life and group conversation. The June 2022 Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality, with a clear reservation about larger-group planning. For families drawn to play, personal news and a sessional timetable, these are useful strengths and a specific point to explore.