Castle Pre-School

Shared stories, garden balancing and close relationships with staff characterised Castle Pre-School in January 2024. It is based in Cosham, Portsmouth.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall. Children aged two to four attended at that time. The strongest practical examples were simple and purposeful: sharing familiar stories, practising physical skills and learning how to care for their teeth.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the January 2024 examples show how play could bring those strands together: balancing developed movement, while printing and magnetic fishing exercised finer hand control.

In January 2024, children joined in familiar passages from Goldilocks and The Three Bears as adults read aloud. Repeated stories gave them opportunities to participate rather than simply listen. Blocks in the garden offered balancing practice; printing with teddy-bear cutters and fishing for magnetic fish gave small hands different tasks.

Language work also had a clear limitation. In January 2024, adults introduced unfamiliar vocabulary, but sometimes questioned children so frequently that their play lost momentum and they moved away. Giving children time to pursue an activity matters alongside talking about it.

In January 2024, children settled readily and turned to staff when they needed comfort. They had helped shape the setting's behaviour rules and remembered them when tidying. However, adults sometimes settled disagreements over toys themselves, reducing children's opportunities to practise resolving disputes.

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described good learning progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children learning English as an additional language. Support included attention-building activities in small groups, liaison with other professionals and additional funding used for individual help from staff.

Practical wellbeing work in January 2024 included brushing pretend plaque from pictures of teeth. Parents also received ideas for learning at home through an online journal, connecting activities beyond the setting with children's learning there.

The address is The Community Building, Court Lane Junior School, Hilary Avenue, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 2PP. Being based at a school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

In January 2024, opening hours were 8.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. At that date, the pre-school received funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. These are dated operating details rather than a current booking promise.

• Independent problem-solving. In January 2024, adults sometimes resolved children's disagreements for them. On a visit, ask how practitioners now help children negotiate over toys.
• Space for sustained play. Frequent adult questions sometimes disrupted activities in January 2024. Watch how staff balance conversation with uninterrupted exploration.
• Attendance and costs. The January 2024 offer was term-time provision. What attendance patterns, funded arrangements, meal and consumable charges would apply to your child's place?

Castle Pre-School merits consideration by families seeking preschool provision with shared stories, practical play and close adult relationships. Its January 2024 picture combines these strengths with two useful cautions: children need room to solve disagreements and time to follow their own play. Those are worthwhile priorities for a visit.