Barrow Hill Pre-School

Weekly STEM sessions, a spring time cake sale and an annual community fete give Barrow Hill Pre-School a clear identity: learning through play, with families involved in the life of a charity-led setting. Based at The Tenant's Hall on Barrow Hill Estate in St John's Wood, it caters for children aged two to five. This is preschool provision rather than baby care.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good, found safeguarding effective and highlighted communication and language as a strength. The current curriculum gives that emphasis practical substance through stories, visual cues and opportunities for children to express their ideas. Full-time and part-time attendance both operate during term time.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes the day through play that develops language, relationships and physical skills, then extends into literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Activities follow children's interests, with observations used to plan their next steps. This makes the starting point what a child can already do, rather than a single task for everyone.

For children aged two to three, the emphasis is on communication, emotional and social development, and movement. The more specific areas are introduced as children become secure in those foundations, typically between three and four. By four to five, preparation for school centres on independence and confidence in learning. These are developmental stages, with individual progress determining the pace.

Weekly STEM sessions bring science, technology, engineering and maths into the programme. Counting, sorting and matching provide concrete starting points for mathematical learning. Yoga and movement breaks also sit within sessions, giving children opportunities to practise coordination alongside quieter activities. The curriculum overview explains how these experiences fit together.

Books run through the day in both individual storytelling and group sessions. Drawing and making marks introduce the movements later used for writing, while labelled objects and self-registration give written words a practical purpose. Children can also select creative materials independently, so adult-led activities sit alongside their own choices.

Outdoor and Community Life

An outdoor space provides another setting for play, and outings extend learning into parks, museums and libraries, including experiences using London transport. These give children subjects to talk about and connect classroom activities with the wider community. Families are invited to contribute their customs and traditions to the curriculum, bringing children's home experiences into shared learning.

In December 2023, children practised hand control with dough and craft activities, and used the outdoor area for running games involving toy dinosaurs. A theatre trip also connected familiar stories with a stage performance. That example shows how books became the starting point for an experience beyond the preschool; it is a dated example rather than a recurring trip schedule.

The spring time cake sale and annual community fete support fundraising for resources and experiences. Their role is practical as well as social: families and the local community help sustain the setting's charity-led model.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a secondary key person as well as a primary one, with both involved in monitoring development and planning support. This gives families two identified practitioners connected to their child's learning. Observations during play help staff recognise emerging skills and decide what to introduce next.

In December 2023, staff used children's preferred books and invited them to suggest subsequent activities. Songs, signing and words from children's home languages supported communication. These examples matter for a child still developing spoken English: participation could draw on gestures and familiar language as well as speech.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Two SENCOs provide the setting's special educational needs coordination, alongside continuing staff training. The curriculum also uses pictures, gestures and signs to support understanding. These are concrete support mechanisms; families considering additional support should discuss how they would work for their child.

Safeguarding arrangements include lead and deputy roles, with staff undertaking safeguarding, child protection and first-aid training. At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted asked leaders to broaden staff training and coaching to strengthen the quality of education further. That development point belongs alongside the positive judgement, rather than disappearing behind it.

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are offered, with a buffet arrangement allowing children to choose and serve food where possible. The food policy accommodates allergy-related needs, dietary preferences and religious requirements, while lunch carries a separate charge.

School preparation includes self-care and independence, and staff work with local schools during children's transition. The emphasis is on supporting the move to school.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. Full-time attendance is also offered. Lunch occupies the interval from 11.30am to noon and costs extra, making it a separate consideration when comparing attendance arrangements.

The setting follows Westminster term dates. Opening hours are 8am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, so the morning session starts after the opening window begins. Families needing holiday childcare should weigh the term-time calendar carefully.

Getting There

The address is The Tenant's Hall, Barrow Hill Estate, Allitsen Road, London NW8 7BD, with access identified as the Swallow House Entrance. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes busy 2 year old funding, working family funding and universal 3-4 year old funding. Qualifying parents can use funded entitlements of 15 or 30 hours per week, with attendance operating during term time; applications for the working-family offer go through Childcare Choices.

Private attendance is offered alongside funded childcare. Lunch is charged separately, so a funded-hours calculation and the food bill are separate considerations. Obtain a current written quotation covering the chosen attendance pattern and its extras before committing.

• Term-time timetable. Morning, afternoon and full-time attendance follow Westminster terms. Consider how school holidays fit your family's childcare needs.
• Lunch and the total bill. Lunch has an additional charge between the morning and afternoon sessions. What would the complete written quotation include for your chosen funded or private pattern, including food and consumables?
• Individual support. Two SENCOs and a primary and secondary key person provide identified support roles. On a visit, discuss how those practitioners would coordinate settling and any additional needs for your child.
• Staff development. The December 2023 improvement action concerned extending training and coaching. Ask how that work now shapes activities and practitioners' support for children's learning.

Barrow Hill suits families choosing morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full-time preschool attendance within a term-time calendar. Its strongest practical attractions are the paired key-person arrangement, weekly STEM sessions and a play-based curriculum that links books, movement and community experiences.

The December 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with further staff development identified as the next step. For parents, the decision rests on the fit between that preschool day and their working week, alongside the separate lunch charge and holiday arrangements.