Cherubs Pre School

Dinosaurs frozen in ice and an owl brought into the setting made learning tangible at Cherubs Pre School in December 2024. Based at Linton Village Hall in Maidstone, this preschool combined ambitious vocabulary with practical exploration. At its 3 December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding overall.

Cherubs accepts children aged 24 to 60 months. Its opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure in school holidays.

In December 2024, dinosaur play became an introduction to changes in materials: children explored ice and used scientific vocabulary to explain evaporation and solidifying. An owl visit extended their interest in birds, including how owls hear. Staff returned to earlier learning so children could recall and explain it to friends. These were activities with something substantial to talk about.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the December 2024 examples connected hands-on exploration with language and physical development. Climbing walls and ladders gave children opportunities to test their coordination and tackle more demanding movement.

Cultural exploration that December included the Hungarian doughnut festival, Japanese goya fruit and greetings in Japanese and Polish. Children also learned about Romany travelling communities. The emphasis was on encountering specific foods, words and traditions, giving discussions about other people's lives concrete detail.

In December 2024, managers identified further staff training to enhance children's mathematical learning as their next development aim.

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised SEND support, including work with outside agencies and wow bag activities designed to develop attention and listening. For families whose children need additional support, the useful detail is the combination of external advice and practical strategies within activities.

In December 2024, staff shared activity plans with parents and invited their contributions. Training shared with families covered online safety and separation anxiety, connecting nursery communication with concerns parents may face at home.

Children also discussed how sugar affects teeth that December, while checking whether friends had eaten their snacks. Everyday food conversations provided opportunities to think about health and other children's needs.

The address is Linton Village Hall, Linton Hill, Linton, Maidstone, ME17 4AW. The term-time calendar and 3pm closing time matter for families arranging care around work and school holidays.

In December 2024, Cherubs received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. That describes its funding provision at that date, rather than an individual child's entitlement.

• Term-time timetable. Opening hours finish at 3pm, and Cherubs closes during school holidays. Families needing care beyond that calendar should weigh this practical constraint early.
• Support in daily activities. December 2024 SEND provision combined outside-agency advice with attention and listening activities. On a visit, ask how this approach would be adapted for your child's needs.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funding covered early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds in December 2024. Ask for a current written quotation explaining funded attendance and the treatment of meals and consumables.

Cherubs suits families seeking term-time preschool within a 9am to 3pm opening window, especially those drawn to learning that gives children interesting ideas to discuss. The December 2024 examples offer a clear picture: scientific language through ice play, cultural exploration through food and greetings, and parent involvement in activity planning. Its timetable is the central practical consideration.