The Corner Pre-School

Caterpillars, spiders and insect vocabulary gave learning a concrete thread at The Corner Pre-School in May 2025. Children discussed how butterflies develop and explored differences between small creatures, bringing conversation and imaginative play together.

At its 15 May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, judged safeguarding effective and found an ambitious curriculum that prepared children for further learning. The setting has capacity for 26 children in Portsmouth; those attending in May 2025 were aged two to four.

In May 2025, the minibeast topic introduced words including tarantula and scorpion. Pretend insect hunts and toy trains provided material for imaginative play. These were concrete starting points for children to talk, compare and develop their ideas.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its inspection-time examples included conversation, stories and physical play. In May 2025, staff read expressively to small groups in the book corner, and children could regularly borrow books to share at home. Reading therefore extended beyond the pre-school day.

The garden added physical challenges. In May 2025, children practised balancing on equipment and jumping from a low height, with staff responding to their interests. Teaching needed more depth, however: adults sometimes missed misunderstandings or moved on before establishing what children understood.

In May 2025, parents knew their child's key person and received regular learning updates. Staff could explain children's starting points and how assessment informed their work. That gave conversations with families a basis in each child's development.

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective key-person relationships and support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, involving speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. This combined everyday relationships with specialist input.

Snack conversations in May 2025 covered fruit, vegetables and the benefits of milk for teeth and bones. Behaviour guidance was less consistent: some younger children were given rules without enough explanation of their purpose.

The address is St Cuthberts Trust, Lichfield Road, Portsmouth, PO3 6DE.

In May 2025, opening hours were 9am to 3.45pm from Monday to Thursday and 9am to 3pm on Friday, during term time. These were opening hours rather than specified booking sessions. The pre-school was funded to deliver free early education for children aged two, three and four at that time.

• Teaching depth. The May 2025 improvement priority concerned extending learning and spotting misunderstandings. During a visit, ask how staff now check understanding before developing an activity further.
• Explaining rules. In May 2025, behavioural expectations were not explained consistently. Ask how practitioners help younger children understand the reasons behind boundaries.
• Attendance and charges. The May 2025 timetable was term-time only. Ask which current booking pattern fits your week and how funded hours, meals and consumables are arranged.

The Corner Pre-School suits families who value the inspection-time combination of small-group stories, imaginative play and specialist support. Its May 2025 term-time timetable is the practical consideration for families comparing childcare with their working week. The Good judgement carries weight, while teaching depth and consistent explanations of rules remain useful points to explore.