Isabello's Preschool

Wellies, Spanish songs and children pouring their own drinks give Isabello's Preschool its character. Based at the church hall in Sayers Common, this family-run preschool combines outdoor exploration with practical independence. It has capacity for 24 children and welcomes children aged 2 to 5. The emphasis is on taking part, making choices and learning through play.

At its 19 November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, alongside those learning English as an additional language, made good progress from their starting points. That is a dated assessment, rather than a judgement on today's provision.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions run during term time. This is a preschool with several attendance patterns, rather than a single daily booking window.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning and care: here, the day combines play, conversation, outdoor activity and opportunities to practise social skills. The additions are concrete. Montessori-inspired learning emphasises doing things independently, while Spanish introduces another language through games, repeated words and singing.

Independence starts with ordinary tasks. Children choose activities, pour drinks and tidy their spaces, with adults offering guidance. These are useful opportunities to practise making decisions and managing tasks themselves. The Montessori influence is expressed through what children do, rather than simply through a label attached to the curriculum.

Spanish follows the same practical approach. Words are introduced through playful repetition, so children can encounter a language while joining in familiar activities. The emphasis is exposure rather than fluency. Communication also runs through the wider preschool day, rather than being confined to a language session.

In November 2021, children sang in English and Spanish, joined action songs and discussed their feelings during welcome time. They also shared resources and negotiated play with one another. Those observations give substance to the preschool's emphasis on conversation: children had opportunities to speak, listen and make themselves understood in a group.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor adventures form part of daily life, with activities in the grounds and surrounding area. Exploration and climbing sit alongside contact with nature. Wellies are part of the practical kit; this outdoor emphasis matters for families whose children enjoy active, hands-on play.

The garden supplied imaginative material in November 2021. For their pretend bus journey, children drew on chairs, logs and empty cables, extending the vehicle and creating steering wheels. Elsewhere outside, balls rolled through tubes. The physical space supported both movement and storytelling, with ordinary objects becoming resources for children's own ideas.

There was also a clear limitation in November 2021: some organised group activities lasted too long, leaving children restless and less involved. The improvement action concerned how group time was organised so that everyone could participate meaningfully. That matters alongside the more appealing descriptions of independent play.

Relationships and Communication

A family-run structure and open communication with parents are part of Isabello's approach. Families are involved in their children's learning, making the relationship between home and preschool part of the daily offer.

In November 2021, staff watched children who were settling and encouraged them to join activities, recognising that some needed more time to become comfortable with others. Children practised familiar routines such as handwashing, tidying and putting on coats. Care and independence were closely connected: adults helped children participate while giving them room to manage everyday tasks.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In November 2021, the special educational needs coordinator worked with families, staff and other agencies on agreed areas of learning. This provided a mechanism for coordinating support between the adults involved in a child's development.

Yoga and mindfulness are woven into current routines. Movement, stretching and breathing exercises are adapted for young children, with sessions that may include quieter moments listening to surrounding sounds. These give the day a different pace alongside active outdoor play. The useful detail is the activity itself, rather than a promise that every child will become calmer or more confident.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool opens from 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Its morning session runs from 8.30am to 12.15pm, the afternoon from 12.15pm to 4pm, and the full day from 8.30am to 4pm. Morning and afternoon bookings provide different options from taking the whole day.

Term-time attendance is an important practical boundary. Families arranging care across the year need to account for that calendar when deciding whether these sessions fit their working arrangements.

Getting There

The address is The Church Hall, Oakhurst, Sayers Common, West Sussex, BN6 9JA. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email at info@isabellos.co.uk or by telephone on 07534 701 625.

Funding and Paid Extras

Isabello's accepts 15 hours universal funding and 30 hours extended funding, subject to eligibility. Funded hours can be used towards full-day or part-day sessions during term time, and families can combine them with additional time. Funding and extra attendance therefore need to be considered together when planning a weekly pattern.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The useful comparison is the complete arrangement for the chosen sessions, rather than funded hours viewed in isolation.

• Group time. In November 2021, some group activities ran too long and children lost engagement. During a visit, ask how these activities are now organised for children with different attention spans.
• Term-time timetable. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions all sit within term-time opening. Families needing care during holidays will need an arrangement that covers those periods.
• The complete cost. Funded and additional hours can be combined. Ask for a written quotation covering your intended pattern, including the arrangements for meals and non-food consumables.

Isabello's suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a full preschool day. Its strongest practical appeal is the combination of outdoor activity, Montessori-inspired independence and playful Spanish, with yoga providing quieter moments in the routine.

The November 2021 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, while the group-time improvement point deserves attention. For parents drawn to learning through everyday tasks and outdoor exploration, the offer has a clear character and a timetable that allows several ways to take part.