Little Creators Pre School

Fifteen places, familiar staff and no moves between age-based rooms give Little Creators Pre School in Cosham a clear identity. Based at Highbury Community Centre, it takes children from nearly walking through to five years old. The appeal is continuity: children can build relationships with the same adults rather than change rooms as they grow.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying priorities around staff understanding of learning aims, consistent SEND strategies and routines that meet individual needs. Those qualifications matter alongside the grade. A small setting still needs purposeful teaching and careful organisation.

Term-time opening runs from 8.30am to 4pm, with funded hours usable flexibly within that window. This is a preschool with a compact scale and a flexible approach to funded attendance.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning through play, covering language, physical development, relationships, early reading and mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. It is the educational foundation here. Regular observations help staff plan activities around what children can already do and what they need to practise next.

In March 2024, stories involved children joining in with familiar phrases and choosing books that interested them. That gives early literacy a practical form: listening, anticipating words and taking part, rather than simply sitting through a story. Staff also encouraged everyday independence through washing hands and managing small self-care tasks.

The same visit showed a gap between the manager's intended learning and staff understanding of those aims. Teaching did not consistently target the intended skills closely enough. For parents, the useful distinction is between an enjoyable activity and one with a clear next step for their child.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2024, outdoor play included cycling, cleaning bicycles and constructing an imaginary bus from play resources. Adults extended the bus game with conversation and songs. Physical activity and pretend play therefore provided opportunities to practise language as well as movement.

Regular visits to nearby shops and a park brought everyday learning beyond the setting. In March 2024, these outings included handling money and practising road safety; other experiences involved public transport and a zoo visit. The practical value lies in making unfamiliar situations part of children's learning, with adults alongside them.

The outings permission arrangement distinguishes between the grounds or adjacent park and trips farther afield. Families can give or withhold initial outings consent. No further permission is sought for outings within the grounds or to the park next door; other trips beyond the grounds require further permission. That gives parents a concrete policy to consider rather than a general promise of outdoor experiences.

Relationships and Communication

Children see familiar staff each day and do not move through a sequence of rooms. For a child who takes time to trust adults, that continuity may be a useful reason to choose this setting. It also gives parents a consistent team with whom to discuss daily experiences.

The group-wide Famly app shares photographs and observations of children's play, and parents can contribute comments and their own observations. It makes communication two-way: experiences at home can sit alongside what staff notice during preschool activities.

In March 2024, children sought comfort from adults and invited them into their play. Staff also exchanged information with parents about the day and ways to continue learning at home. These are dated examples of how relationships worked in practice, rather than a guarantee about any individual child's settling experience.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the SEND coordinator worked with families and outside professionals and arranged timely referrals, but targeted plans were used more consistently in adult-led activities than in children's independent play, limiting the consistency of support for progress. This is a material consideration for families whose child needs adaptations throughout the day.

Cosham has a SEND coordinator and a deputy manager with a designated safeguarding lead role. These are identifiable points of responsibility for discussing support and raising concerns. They do not replace the need to understand how an individual child's arrangements work in daily practice.

In March 2024, additional funding had helped create a sensory area offering a calmer space. Lunch routines were less successful on some occasions: children who had finished eating could be left wandering with no activity. The issue was the transition after eating, so a useful discussion concerns how staff keep children engaged when they finish at different times.

Sessions and Attendance

The Cosham setting is at Highbury Community Centre, Hawthorn Crescent, Portsmouth, PO6 2TL. Opening hours are 8.30am to 4pm during term time. Funded attendance can be arranged flexibly within those hours, allowing the pattern to fit the child and family rather than requiring the whole opening window.

For children using more than their funded entitlement, paid attendance is charged in blocks of half an hour, one hour, three hours or six hours. Private attendance is also offered to children who do not qualify for funding. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

The accepted funding categories are 9 months - 2 years, 2 years, and 3 and 4 years funding. Acceptance of an entitlement does not change the nursery's entry stage: children are taken from nearly walking. Eligibility and developmental readiness are separate considerations.

For eligible children, funded hours carry no top-ups or hidden charges. Additional attendance beyond entitlement is paid separately. The practical advantage is that parents can distinguish the funded portion of their arrangement from the extra time they choose to buy; the funding and fees page sets out that structure.

• Learning with a clear purpose. In March 2024, staff understanding of intended learning needed greater consistency. On a tour, ask how an activity is adapted to your child's next learning step.
• Support across the whole day. The March 2024 SEND concern involved applying plans during independent play, while lunch transitions also needed attention. Discuss how support continues between organised activities and routines.
• A term-time arrangement. Opening hours are 8.30am to 4pm in term time, with flexible funded attendance and paid blocks beyond entitlement. Consider whether that calendar and window fit your family's childcare needs.
• Settling and everyday supplies. Tours and settling sessions can be arranged. Use that discussion to establish what your child should bring for meals and personal care, alongside a settling pattern suited to their needs.

Little Creators Pre School suits families seeking continuity in a fifteen-place Cosham setting, whether they want flexible funded hours or longer paid attendance in the offered blocks. Familiar staff and the absence of room moves are practical strengths for children who benefit from steady relationships.

The March 2024 Good judgement comes with specific cautions about teaching aims, SEND support during independent play and daily transitions. Parents should weigh those issues alongside the compact scale and straightforward funding structure. The strongest fit is a family whose term-time needs match the opening window and who values close communication with a consistent team.