Jack and Jill Pre-School

Village-hall life and parent involvement give Jack and Jill Pre-School its character. Based at Bransgore Village Hall, this committee-run charity combines children's chosen activities with adult-led group work, while a parent rota and shared term-end events bring families into pre-school life. Parents can take part in how the setting runs, as well as what their children do.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good overall, with further development of staff and managers identified as the improvement priority. Jack and Jill has capacity for 26 children and accepts children from age two. Its attendance options include mornings, half days and full days during term time.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, children choose activities, practise completing tasks and join adult-led groups to develop skills alongside others. Choice and shared activity both have a place. That combination gives children opportunities to pursue an interest and to learn how a group works.

In March 2023, learning connected practical activities with ideas children could explore for themselves. Magnets were used to investigate how different materials behaved, with staff explaining what happened and asking questions. Spring activities included making a hatching egg with scissors, adjusting the task to children's stage of development. These examples brought investigation and careful hand movements into play rather than treating them as separate lessons.

Mathematics also appeared in ordinary routines in March 2023. Children counted plates and snack items, while pretend play introduced the language of fractions through portions of food. Building activities explored homes such as huts and pyramids, linking construction with how people live in different places. The useful feature was the connection between an idea and something children could handle, count or build.

Outdoor and Community Life

Bicycles featured in the March 2023 activities, with children challenging their physical skills and considering risks. Nearby pretend traffic wardens made written notes about dangers. Physical play and early writing met in the same activity, giving mark-making a purpose children could understand.

Family events follow the terms. An Easter Egg Hunt gives parents a chance to join the children, while the summer Leavers party marks the move onwards; Christmas brings a nativity play. These are shared occasions for families to meet, rather than experiences confined to the children's usual sessions. Annual fundraising also includes the Christmas Fayre and Toddlerthon, supporting the charity's community model.

Relationships and Communication

Key-person responsibilities form part of the staff structure, including the Owl and Hedgehog Groups. Staff have training in early years care, and the team includes a Special Educational Needs Coordinator. Those roles provide a point of responsibility for children's day-to-day experience and additional support.

In March 2023, staff knew what children were learning and the skills they were working towards. Parents' meetings and online learning journals helped families follow that work. This gave communication a practical subject: a child's achievements and next steps, rather than simply an account of the day's activities.

The parent rota encourages families to help once or twice a term, but new families are excused during their child's first half term to allow settling. That distinction matters. Parents can become involved after their child has had time to adjust, rather than being expected to join the rota immediately.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities good, including the use of Makaton to help speech and language development. First-aid and safeguarding training is required for staff.

Preparation for the next stage includes visits to Bransgore Primary school and visits from children's future teachers. These provide opportunities to become familiar with school before the move. In March 2023, older children also practised participating in group activities such as parachute games, while younger children received language support through stories and rhymes.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Village Hall, 116 Burley Road, Bransgore, Christchurch, BH23 8AY. Attendance runs for 38 weeks during term time, with term dates based on Hampshire school dates and no attendance on bank holidays.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday. Afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; Tuesday has a morning and lunch period. Half-day and full-day attendance are also offered on the four days with afternoons. An optional, pre-booked lunch club runs from noon to 12.30pm, and the minimum session is 2.5 hours.

This timetable gives families a choice between a morning, an afternoon or a longer attendance day, but Tuesday needs separate planning. A morning ending at noon and an afternoon beginning at 12.30pm are different commitments, and lunch club provides the intervening attendance option.

Registration uses a downloaded form returned to the pre-school. General enquiries can be made by telephone or contact form; the form carries a warning against including personal information about a child. Families who no longer need a place after registering are asked to tell the setting promptly.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15-hour and up-to-30-hour early education options, subject to the relevant eligibility conditions, plus the approved two-year-old funding scheme, which requires Hampshire County Council approval. Attendance is term time. Additional private hours are charged, so the funded entitlement and the family's complete attendance bill need to be considered separately.

Fees are paid in advance each term, with payment plans possible by agreement with the Treasurer. Lunch club is separately charged. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation; the sessions and prices page sets out the attendance and payment structure.

• Tuesday and holiday cover. Tuesday has morning attendance and lunch, while afternoons run on the other four weekdays. The 38-week term-time pattern needs to fit the family's working week and holiday arrangements.
• Professional development. The March 2023 improvement priority concerned development for staff, especially managers. During a visit, ask how training and management development now influence children's daily experience.
• Lunch and everyday supplies. Lunch club is optional and pre-booked. Ask what children bring for lunch and which food or consumables charges apply to the intended funded or private attendance pattern.
• Parent participation. The rota encourages help once or twice each term after the initial settling period. Consider how this fits family commitments and whether committee work or helping at events would appeal.

Jack and Jill suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting full days within a term-time pre-school timetable. Its village-hall base, parent participation and shared events give the offer a clear community character. Visits to Bransgore Primary school add a practical element to preparation for the next stage.

The March 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by a specific development priority for staff and managers. The decisive practical question is whether the shorter Tuesday and term-time calendar fit the family's care needs. For parents who want to participate in pre-school life, the rota and committee offer concrete ways to do so.