Woodlands Pre-School

An allotment that children plant, tend and harvest gives Woodlands Pre-School a clear identity. A large field and an outdoor classroom used daily extend the possibilities beyond the hall: growing food, playing outside and learning indoors are all part of its offer. This is a charity-run preschool at Netley Marsh Community Hall, on the edge of the New Forest, welcoming children aged two to five.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 21 November 2023. There are 26 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a promise about the size of any particular group. Morning, afternoon and whole-day attendance give families different ways to use the preschool.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, covering communication, physical development, early reading and mathematics alongside social development and creative expression. Here, children can move between freely chosen play, smaller-group activities and shared singing or games. Baking, painting, puzzles and seed planting give that framework practical expression, with different ways to participate rather than one activity dominating the session.

In November 2023, everyday routines became opportunities to explore numbers. Children divided fruit, measured oats by the spoonful and helped set the cooking time for porridge. Outdoors, water-filled syringes prompted predictions about how high or far the water would go. These examples connect mathematical ideas with things children can handle and test for themselves.

Language also received deliberate attention in November 2023. Books were accessible across the play spaces, including outside, while two-way radios gave children another reason to talk. Small-group work developed vocabulary and sentence building. In role play, children experimented with tools for cutting fruit and vegetables, then discussed the changes they could see. Conversation accompanied the practical task.

Outdoor and Community Life

The allotment offers a continuing project: children help grow produce and take part in its care and harvest. The outdoor classroom provides another place for daily activities, while the field gives access to substantial outdoor space. Sessions use that space in different weather, with indoor periods during the day. Families should expect outdoor clothing to earn its keep.

Celebrations include Chinese New Year, Ramadan and an Easter egg hunt, with food and resources covered through the Enhanced Provision fee for funded three- and four-year-olds. Christmas and summer leavers parties also form part of that provision. Fundraising brings families into preschool life too: Spring and Summer fairs and an Easter egg hunt are among the events parents can help with.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key carer, available for conversations at the beginning and end of sessions. Parents are invited to discuss their child's development within a session, and settling arrangements adapt to the individual child rather than following a single timetable. That makes the relationship with staff part of the joining process, as well as something that continues afterwards.

Tapestry online Learning Journals hold observations and next steps. Parents can access the journal at home and add their own examples of development, so learning outside preschool can inform the picture staff build. The journal is exported to the child's school for Reception, providing continuity in information as children move on.

Parents also have ways to contribute beyond their own child's updates. A mainly parent-volunteer committee is elected at the annual AGM and meets during the year. The voluntary Parent Rota allows families to take part in sessions and contribute activity ideas. These are practical opportunities to influence and understand preschool life, rather than simply attend fundraising events.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A designated SENCO can use Makaton and visual timetables and liaise with outside agencies; staff have undertaken Makaton training to support communication. The inclusion policy also provides for an access audit and recognises home languages and signing. These are concrete mechanisms for discussing how an individual child will participate.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support effective, with individual educational plans where appropriate and referrals to other professionals when needed. During that month, supervision included head counts on daily walks and communication between staff as children moved between indoor play and the allotment.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates from Netley Marsh Community Hall, Woodlands Road, Woodlands, Southampton, SO40 7GE. Its session choices include whole days from 9.15am to 3.15pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, mornings from 9.15am to 12.15pm, and afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm; Wednesday is morning-only. An earlier start at 8.30am includes breakfast and carries a separate charge.

The booking form asks families to nominate their preferred days and sessions. Where those choices are full, alternative sessions are offered and the first choice goes onto a waiting list. Withdrawal requires half a term's notice or payment instead, and absence does not attract a refund. Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

EYE funding is accepted for eligible children from age two, with up to 30 hours for qualifying families. Eligibility matters: this is not an automatic entitlement for every two-year-old. Additional hours and attendance outside a child's funded entitlement are paid privately. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

For funded three- and four-year-olds, the Enhanced Provision fee separately covers curriculum snacks, celebration food and resources, parties, play dough and food used in play. Woodlands covers this fee for children receiving Early Years Pupil Premium or SEN funding. Invoices are issued each half term, and there is a non-refundable administration charge that includes a tour and two settling sessions of up to three hours each.

Families provide fruit or vegetables for shared snacks and packed lunches for children staying to eat, alongside the separately charged curriculum snacks on funded provision. The packed-lunch policy excludes nuts and nut products and recommends insulated bags with freezer blocks because lunches cannot be refrigerated.

• Session timing and calendar. Session information gives both 9am to 3pm and 9.15am to 3.15pm whole days, with corresponding differences for shorter sessions. Before booking, establish the applicable times and term dates; in November 2023, attendance was term-time only.
• Funded extras. The Enhanced Provision fee applies to funded three- and four-year-olds, with the preschool covering it for children receiving Early Years Pupil Premium or SEN funding. Request a written breakdown for your child's attendance pattern so that funded hours and additional provision are clear.
• Outdoor routines and individual care. Daily use of the outdoor classroom and access to the allotment make suitable clothing important. On a visit, discuss how settling and communication support would work for your child; allergy-affected families should also confirm current food-handling practice.
• Consistency of practice. In November 2023, staff did not always reinforce behaviour expectations consistently, and leaders sometimes missed gaps in records and staff understanding. Ask how behaviour guidance and management oversight now work in everyday sessions.

Woodlands suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as whole days, with outdoor activity woven into the offer. The allotment, daily outdoor classroom use and parent participation give it a recognisable character. Tapestry and an individual key carer provide clear routes for following a child's development. The practical decision rests on matching the session timetable and funded charge structure to family needs, alongside understanding how the November 2023 improvement points have been addressed.