Holiplay Pre School At St Marks

Tricycles, balance beams and outings into the neighbourhood give Holiplay Pre School At St Marks a practical, active character in its July 2022 account of daily life. Its Mitcham site shares grounds with St Marks Primary School and has 22 places in total. That capacity describes the whole setting, rather than the size of any particular group.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good on 4 July 2022. The strengths beneath that judgement included play shaped around children's interests, relationships with a key person and opportunities to develop independence. There were also specific improvements to make: quicker responses to the youngest children's needs, and more consistent supervision and hygiene during routines such as snack time.

Current applications extend from 9 months to statutory school age, subject to eligibility and availability. Morning, afternoon and full-day funded sessions run during term time, giving families a choice between shorter attendance and the complete preschool day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care: children develop skills through play, conversation, movement and everyday routines. Holiplay's additional educational visits, visiting contributors, workshops and enrichment activities sit alongside that foundation. These additions are supported by the Education Enrichment Fee (EEF), a termly contribution that also supports snacks and consumables; choosing not to contribute does not remove a child's funded entitlement.

In July 2022, learning followed children's interests, with counting and recognising colours and shapes woven into play. An animal-identification activity encouraged children to name creatures and imitate their sounds. This made language practice part of an activity children wanted to join, rather than a separate exercise.

The same July 2022 account described children choosing activities for themselves, both inside and outside. Physical development, communication and emotional and social development received attention following gaps associated with the pandemic. Those priorities describe that period's response to children's needs.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2022, outdoor play included riding tricycles and tackling stepping stones and balance beams. These resources gave children different ways to practise movement and coordination, with opportunities to attempt physical challenges.

Weekly planned outings were also part of life in July 2022, including visits to parks, shops and the library. Familiar neighbourhood destinations connected children's learning with places beyond preschool. For a family weighing the experience, the combination of outdoor equipment and community outings is more informative than a general promise of active play.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2022, a key person relationship supported settling, and staff visited families at home before children started. Learning familiar words from children's home languages and finding out what they could already do helped staff begin with knowledge of the individual child. Settling was personal, rather than simply an introduction to the room.

Photographs also played a part in July 2022: children used pictures to mark their attendance and recognised themselves on a rotating picture frame. These small details connected the preschool day with children's sense of identity. Daily conversations and newsletters kept parents informed about their child's development at that time, giving families more than a formal progress update alone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) good, with the special educational needs coordinator working with colleagues to arrange early help. Current admissions arrangements include working with families and external professionals on appropriate support and reasonable adjustments wherever possible. That qualification matters: the arrangements concern the individual child's needs.

In July 2022, staff worked with teaching colleagues and the designated safeguarding lead at St Marks Primary School. The deputy manager joined regular meetings with education staff and other professionals. The preschool employed eight staff at that time; this is a dated whole-setting count, rather than a statement about staffing in any session today.

The July 2022 improvement points deserve attention alongside the positive findings. Staff did not always react promptly enough when younger children needed help, and some routines required closer oversight. Professional development and changes to snack-time supervision and hygiene were the requested next steps.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 49-57 St Mark's Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 2LF. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The preschool closes for the published Merton School Holidays, so the attendance calendar matters as much as the daily hours.

Funded bookings comprise a morning session from 9am to noon, an afternoon session from noon to 3pm, or a full day from 9am to 3pm. Each has its own stated window. Families can contact the preschool at stmarkspreschool@holiplay.co.uk about applications; decisions are communicated in writing, alongside registration, induction and start-date arrangements.

When demand exceeds capacity, the usual priority order starts with existing children increasing attendance, followed by siblings attending the preschool or another Holiplay provision. Funded eligibility, living locally and childcare needed for employment, study or training follow, before applications are considered by receipt date. Exceptional welfare circumstances may affect that order, and a waiting list operates when an immediate place cannot be offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered for eligible children aged 9 months+, 2 years, and 3 & 4 years, delivered during term time. Meals and snacks, additional consumables, optional trips and hours beyond the funded entitlement are optional services charged separately when selected. These should be kept separate from the funded education and care itself when comparing arrangements.

The termly Education Enrichment Fee supports enrichment, snacks and consumables. Families who choose not to contribute, or cannot contribute, can discuss individual alternatives, including reduced or waived contributions in cases of hardship. Funded entitlement cannot be refused because a family declines that contribution.

A refundable deposit may be requested. For a funded place, it is refunded within six weeks of the child's actual start date, provided the child starts their agreed funded place; cancellation before starting can lead to some or all being retained where insufficient notice or financial loss applies, subject to individual consideration and exceptional circumstances. Funded places require six weeks' notice. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Sharing the grounds of St Marks Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school application.

• Support for the youngest children. Quicker staff responses and further professional development were July 2022 improvement priorities. On a visit, discuss how care and activities now accommodate children entering from 9 months.
• Snack-time routines. Supervision and hygiene needed greater consistency in July 2022. Ask how these routines are organised now, including how adults oversee children while food is served.
• Term-time attendance. Morning, afternoon and full-day funded patterns all sit within the 9am to 3pm opening day, with school-holiday closures. This calendar needs to fit the family's working arrangements.
• Funded extras and cancellation. Selected meals, snacks and consumables carry separate charges, while the enrichment contribution can be discussed individually. Before accepting a place, review the written quotation and the deposit conditions together with the six-week notice requirement.

Holiplay suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon attendance as well as a full preschool day. Its July 2022 picture of interest-led play, outdoor movement and neighbourhood outings gives parents concrete reasons to consider it, while the specific concerns about younger children and snack routines make the visit discussion purposeful. In July 2022, preschool staff worked with colleagues at St Marks Primary School; Reception admission remains a separate decision.