St Johns Pre School

Community connection gives St Johns Pre School its clearest identity. This sessional setting occupies the first floor of St Johns Centre at 64 Larcom Street, London SE17 1NQ, with capacity for 24 children. Ofsted rated it Good in February 2024 across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership, and found safeguarding effective.

The strongest evidence is about children becoming confident communicators and capable participants. Children used home languages during counting, clapped the rhythms of friends' names and joined shared song-and-dance visits with an older people's group. Staff also organised longer outings for children and families. These are specific ways of connecting language, identity and local community life.

Entry begins from two years and six months, while the observed group spanned ages two to four. The setting is sessional rather than a long-day nursery, giving children a concentrated pre-school day rather than nursery care extending from early morning into the evening.

Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage. In practical terms, this means play and adult interaction build communication, physical development, relationships, early literacy and mathematics rather than reproducing a school timetable. Children predicted events in traditional stories, recognised colours and numerals while stacking cups, and developed speaking skills by clapping the sounds in names.

Choice and independence run through the day. Children selected activities, recognised their own names at self-registration, managed tissues for themselves and helped prepare lunch tables. Staff set clear expectations while giving close support to children who found group activity difficult, including worthwhile alternatives when concentration faded.

Outdoor provision is more mixed. Children planted, dug in sand or soil and used wheeled toys. The outdoor curriculum was less effective in colder months, and leaders were asked to plan more consistently challenging experiences throughout the year. That matters most for children who learn through movement or prefer being outside.

Warm relationships were visible. Ofsted observed that staff helped children settle securely and responded sensitively when reassurance was needed. Visual cues helped children understand routines and express needs, giving the day a more predictable shape. Children who spoke another language at home quickly gained spoken English while their own languages remained valued.

Support for additional needs was purposeful. Staff assessed learning accurately, identified possible gaps early and worked with parents and other professionals. The special educational needs coordinator understood local referral routes and could seek further advice. Additional funding was used to improve children's engagement rather than sitting apart from everyday learning.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective. Staff supervision and training supported practice, including courses on speech and language. Communication with families was regular, and transitions to school were carefully planned through sharing information about how each child learns. Communication with every other setting involved in a child's care still needed strengthening.

St Johns Pre School operates from the first floor of St Johns Centre, 64 Larcom Street, London SE17 1NQ. Monday-to-Friday patterns run from 9.15am to 3pm, 9.15am to 11.45am and 12.30pm to 3pm. A full pre-school day can therefore be compared with morning or afternoon sessions. Operation is during term time.

In February 2024, funded early education was provided for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Current written terms will determine how funded hours are allocated within a chosen pattern, alongside the position on meals and consumables.

• Outdoor learning across the year. Colder-month provision offered less challenge. Ask how planning, resources and access now sustain active learning through winter.
• Shared-care communication. Exchanges with every other provision a child attends needed improvement. Families using more than one setting should establish one clear process for updates between teams.
• Age and session terms. Entry begins from two years and six months. Compare the full-day, morning and afternoon patterns in writing, including funded-hour treatment and lunch arrangements.

St Johns Pre School is best suited to families seeking term-time, sessional care with a pronounced community character. Full days, morning sessions and afternoon sessions give more than one attendance pattern, while the 24-place capacity keeps the setting relatively compact.

Its best qualities are concrete: children use their home languages, practise speech through rhythmic group welcomes, build independence through daily jobs and meet older local people through shared music and movement. The Good 2024 judgement supports the overall picture. Families should weigh that against two clear development points, namely stronger winter outdoor learning and more reliable communication across shared-care settings.