Beresford Pre-School

Story-making, planting and numbered bike parking gave Beresford Pre-School a practical, playful character in March 2022. Based at The Scout Hut on Beresford Avenue in Rochester, it has capacity for 26 children in total.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 10 March 2022, including its education provision. Children attending then were aged two to four. That dated picture combines hands-on learning with two clear priorities: using everyday routines to encourage conversation and teaching children about internet safety.

In March 2022, the early years foundation stage provided the framework for learning and care: children developed language, early writing and mathematical understanding through play. The Very Hungry Caterpillar helped children arrange stories in sequence and make their own books, which they shared in the book corner. Writing had a purpose and an audience.

The digging area offered spades, seeds and plant pots for growing plants. Matching bikes with numbered parking spaces brought number recognition into physical play. Children could choose activities that interested them, while adults joined their play in the mud kitchen and prompted them to plan what they needed.

Cameras and a laptop offered opportunities to explore technology. However, in March 2022, teaching about safe internet use needed more attention. Climbing equipment and obstacle courses also gave children physical challenges outdoors.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) strong, including collaboration with other professionals and early preparation for school transitions.

In March 2022, large sand timers made waiting and turn-taking visible, while pictures and signing helped children understand feelings and manage disagreements. These were concrete tools for situations children encountered during play.

Parents interviewed that month valued their relationships with staff, developmental updates and suggestions for learning at home. Staff received coaching and discussed how training could inform their practice. Safeguarding training included quizzes, and staff had paediatric first-aid training.

Healthy snacks, drinking water and outdoor exercise formed part of daily life in March 2022. Conversation needed more attention during routines such as snack time, when adults sometimes concentrated on supervision rather than extending children's language.

The address is The Scout Hut, Beresford Avenue, Rochester, ME1 2QX.

In March 2022, opening hours were 9am to midday on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9am to 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday, during term time. Funding then supported early education for children aged two, three and four. These arrangements belong to that period.

• Everyday conversation. In March 2022, snack-time supervision sometimes displaced opportunities for language development. Ask how practitioners now build conversation into routine activities.
• Technology and safety. Children used cameras and a laptop in March 2022, but needed clearer teaching about internet safety. Ask how that learning now accompanies technology use.
• Attendance fit. The March 2022 timetable combined shorter opening windows with longer Tuesdays and Thursdays. What attendance arrangements and funded-hours terms would apply to your child now?

For families weighing a term-time preschool, the March 2022 picture offers useful strengths: purposeful story-making, practical number play and concrete support for managing feelings. It is especially relevant to parents who value learning through everyday activities and early transition planning for SEND. The dated timetable makes attendance fit a central consideration, alongside the two teaching priorities identified that month.