St Andrews Pre-school

Child-chosen play, daily garden access and a parent-elected committee give St Andrews Pre-school its character. Based in St Andrew's Hall in Caversham, this charitable pre-school combines a hall setting with close family involvement.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and disabilities to be good. There were also two clear areas for improvement: responding more consistently to children's interests during teaching, and making safety-related behaviour rules easier for children to understand.

There are 30 places in total, and children can join between the ages of 2 years 6 months and 5 years. Attendance is term-time, with morning and full-day patterns across Monday to Thursday. The combination suits families seeking a preschool routine with time for play, conversation and growing independence.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes the educational programme: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, alongside early experiences of reading, number, creativity and the world around them. This is the shared early-years framework. St Andrews' own planning combines In the Moment, which follows children's interests as they play, with a loosely planned weekly topic.

Children choose activities, while practitioners introduce ideas and extend learning. Family contributions shape topics through online observations, termly updates, objects brought from home and family events or holidays.

In January 2025, younger children experimented with water and brushes to make marks; older children identified their names and used pretend writing in play. Story work included anticipating what might happen next.

The same visit showed the limits of interest-led teaching when it was applied inconsistently. Some activities continued without enough adjustment to children's responses, leaving some children restless. The practical question is how staff recognise that an activity needs to change, not simply whether children can choose what to do.

Outdoor and Community Life

Open Door is the preschool's arrangement for daily access to its garden and outside play space. Much of the activity is led by children's choices, with some adult-initiated experiences alongside it. Outdoor play is part of the day, rather than reserved for a separate occasional session.

Inside, the main hall supports activities and stories. Snack time works flexibly: children can continue playing if they do not want to eat at that point, then return to their chosen activity afterwards. Before the morning ends, children divide into those staying for lunch and those leaving, with a story for each group. That gives the morning a recognisable ending while accommodating different attendance patterns.

Families can contribute directly to activities by reading, helping with cooking or sharing a celebration. Regular parent helping is not an expectation. This distinction matters: there are ways to participate in children's learning without taking on a recurring helper commitment.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who observes development and plans next steps. Weekly photographs and observations are added to the child's journal, giving parents something concrete to discuss with their child. Tapestry, the online learning journal, also lets families contribute their own observations, so information travels in both directions.

Settling begins before the first independent session. An induction takes place in the preceding term, when staff discuss settling arrangements with families. Home visits happen at the beginning of the academic year or shortly before a child starts at another point; a key person and a manager attend. Meeting familiar adults at home gives children an introduction beyond the preschool setting.

Preparation for school includes practising independence, listening, following instructions and understanding expectations. Everyday capabilities are the emphasis.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Additional support has a defined process. The inclusion policy uses the Graduated Approach, a cycle of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing its effect. Parents and relevant professionals take part in progress reviews, with a Support Plan or Individual Education Plan used to identify interventions.

Brighter Futures for Children provides guidance and support, and the SEND Strategies Toolkit informs support planning. Where further assessment is considered, the SENCO works with parents on the process.

Safeguarding arrangements include designated lead and deputy roles, with procedures for reporting concerns and escalating disagreements. Volunteers and parent helpers work under permanent staff supervision and do not have unsupervised access to children. Their contribution supplements practitioners' work.

Absence procedures also involve families directly. Parents should report an absence within an hour of the expected attendance time. Staff follow up unexplained absences and keep records of the reason, likely duration and action taken, making prompt communication part of the care arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm; full days run from 9.15am to 2.45pm. Both operate Monday to Thursday, with Fridays closed. Afternoon-only attendance is not offered, so the afternoon timetable forms part of the full-day pattern.

The admissions policy requires at least three sessions each week and a commitment of three terms. A morning counts as one session and a full day as two.

Intakes are in September and January, subject to places being allocated. The qualifying minimum age is assessed at the end of August for autumn entry and at the end of December for spring entry. Applications join the waiting list when the completed form and non-refundable registration payment have been received; registration does not guarantee a place.

Priority goes first to continuing families, then children with special educational, social or family needs, followed by siblings and new families in registration order. Reducing attendance or leaving requires at least 12 weeks' written notice; insufficient notice can leave families liable for the corresponding fees.

Getting There

The address is St Andrew's Hall, Albert Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7AW. General enquiries can be made through the contact form, while registration paperwork is handled by the preschool administrator and can be submitted by email or post.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is delivered across 38 weeks, rather than stretched through the year. The entitlement schemes include universal funding for three- and four-year-olds, working-family funding and funding for eligible two-year-olds whose parent receives additional forms of government support; participation remains subject to the child's eligibility and the preschool's terms.

The preschool opens for 22 hours weekly. Its funding arrangements apply up to 15 or 18 hours a week according to the scheme, with a daily maximum of 4.5 funded hours. Eligible working families should therefore distinguish their overall entitlement from the hours this setting applies to their attendance.

A funded-only full-day pattern runs from 10.15am to 2.45pm, Monday to Thursday. Hours beyond the applied entitlement are privately charged, and families using funding elsewhere must tell the preschool so their costs can reflect that arrangement. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the funding and fees page explains the structure.

A non-refundable registration charge applies. Once a place is offered, a holding fee is required; it is returned at the end of attendance once outstanding invoices have been paid. Families are also asked for a contribution each term, explicitly voluntary and carrying no obligation to pay.

• Teaching and safety routines. In January 2025, activities were not always adjusted to children's interests, and indoor running rules were applied inconsistently. During a visit, ask how staff now respond to disengagement and explain safety boundaries.
• Minimum attendance. The admissions policy requires three weekly sessions, while the weekly fee structure specifies four. Confirm the booking commitment before accepting a place, alongside the three-term requirement and notice terms.
• Food and personal supplies. Children have a flexible snack routine and full-day attendance includes lunch time. Ask about food and personal-supply arrangements for your child's sessions, including how any allergy needs will be managed.

St Andrews suits families wanting either preschool mornings or a full day ending in mid-afternoon, within a term-time routine. Daily garden access, child-led choices and Tapestry updates make its offer easy to picture, while the parent committee gives families a role in sustaining the setting.

The January 2025 improvement points deserve attention, especially how staff adapt activities and reinforce safety rules. The shorter weekly opening pattern and continuing attendance commitment are equally important to the decision. For families whose schedules fit, this is a preschool built around play and regular relationships, with practical routes for parental involvement and additional support.