Coxheath Rising Five Preschool

School preparation gives Coxheath Rising Five Preschool its clear purpose: afternoon provision at The Scout Hut for children due to begin school that September. It is a separate setting from the group's morning preschool, with a shared staff team and an emphasis on the move towards school routines. There are 18 places in total. That is whole-setting capacity, rather than a promise about the size of any activity group.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the preschool Good and found safeguarding effective. Practical independence stood out in the daily activities: children managed belongings, helped with snack-time clearing and practised doing things for themselves. The improvement priorities were equally concrete, concerning vocabulary development and waiting during group activities.

The current attendance pattern is term-time afternoon sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This is provision with a specific school-transition purpose, rather than an all-day childcare offer.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its everyday meaning can be seen in the March 2024 activities: early letter work, mathematical patterns, conversations and practical tasks, rather than school preparation being reduced to sitting still.

In March 2024, children explored the letters belonging to their names, linked them with sounds and worked on their sequence. Bears differing in colour and size became materials for making patterns. These were concrete ways to practise early literacy and mathematics, with staff using assessments to choose what children needed next.

Baby caterpillars brought earlier learning about life cycles back into discussion. Children recalled what they had already explored and considered the next stage of the caterpillars' development. The example gives this preschool's school preparation some useful texture: remembering, discussing and investigating were part of the experience alongside routines.

Group activities included sowing cress and physical games in March 2024. They gave children practice in listening and participating together, but some waited too long for a turn. Group organisation therefore deserves as much attention as the activity itself. Stories, imaginative play and conversation also supported language, although staff's methods for extending vocabulary were inconsistent at that visit.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2024, staff used consistent boundaries and modelled considerate relationships. Children shared play materials, included others and negotiated games together. Books and mirrors helped them discuss feelings, while staff encouraged them to consider how another child might feel. School preparation included learning to be part of a group, as well as managing personal tasks.

Independence was practical. At the same visit, children put away bags, removed shoes, selected their name cards and helped wash snack plates. Handwashing and using the toilet were also things they increasingly managed themselves. These small routines matter for the transition to a school day because children get opportunities to take responsibility for familiar tasks.

The manager made time for parent conversations in March 2024, discussing learning and continuity between home and preschool. The shared group team currently includes keyworkers, a safeguarding lead and an SEN lead. Those are identifiable roles for families discussing their child's care or additional needs, rather than a general promise that every need will be met.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Scout Hut, Westerhill Road, Coxheath, Maidstone, ME17 4DQ. Afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during term time. Their intended cohort is children starting school that September, so the purpose and calendar both matter when judging whether the arrangement fits a family.

Coxheath Preschool runs the group's separate morning provision. The two settings share staff, but its morning sessions should not be mistaken for another booking pattern at Rising Five. In March 2024, children attending Rising Five also attended Coxheath Preschool.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 07934 103132 or by email to supervisor@coxheathpreschool.co.uk. Visits are organised by arrangement.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free early education funding is offered for sessions where the child meets government eligibility requirements. Attendance here is term-time. Privately paid sessions are also offered, with payment either at the beginning of a term or divided into three payments across it.

The shared group team provides snacks and drinks during sessions. This describes what children receive, rather than establishing how those items are charged.

• Afternoons and the school-starting cohort. Sessions run from noon to 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in term time, for children approaching their September school start. At a visit, discuss how this arrangement would fit your child's existing preschool attendance.
• Language and group participation. March 2024 priorities were more effective vocabulary development and less waiting during group activities. Ask how staff now extend children's language and keep everyone involved during shared tasks.
• The full session cost. Funded and privately paid sessions are offered. Request a written quotation covering your intended pattern, including the treatment of snacks and non-food consumables.

Coxheath Rising Five Preschool suits families seeking term-time afternoon school preparation for a child due to start school that September. Its shared-team relationship with Coxheath Preschool gives the arrangement a clear context. The March 2024 examples of personal independence, early learning and emotional discussion make its purpose tangible; vocabulary teaching and the organisation of group activities are the points to explore before joining.