The Grange Pre-School

Parents help run The Grange Pre-School, and that changes the relationship between family and setting. An elected parent committee makes management decisions, while children spend their sessions choosing play, joining group activities and using an enclosed decking area. This Southcote pre-school has a practical, participatory character: families can contribute to the organisation as well as their own child's learning.

At its 19 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. The setting has capacity for 35 children aged two to five, at Grange United Reformed Church on Circuit Lane, Reading. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered during term time.

Rooms and Ages

Children share free play before separating for activities according to when they will leave for school. Children leaving for school in the current academic year undertake more structured activities towards their learning goals; those leaving the following year continue learning through play.

An enclosed decking area is accessible to all children. Indoors, construction materials, puzzles and pretend household play sit alongside drawing, painting and play dough. Children can choose an activity and stay with it, while adult-led group work introduces another rhythm to the session. They reunite afterwards, with singing or a story bringing the session to a close.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its areas of learning are explored through play, movement, conversation and creative activities indoors and outside. Development Matters, guidance used to plan suitable experiences, helps staff select activities and resources for children's stage of development. It supports the planning rather than functioning as a separate enrichment programme.

In May 2022, mathematical learning included assembling a railway from pictorial instructions and considering how carriages would fit. Pretend hairdressing involved discussing styles and negotiating prices, with images helping children contribute to conversation.

Physical challenges were also evident in May 2022. Older children used ropes, while younger children tackled a climbing wall. Planting strawberries prompted discussion about flowers, bees and the conditions fruit needs to grow.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play combines children's choices with adult-led activities.

Stay and Play weeks allow parents to join a session and talk with their child's key person, with invitations up to three times a year. Parents can also volunteer to share an interest, skill or cultural celebration.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who connects their experiences at home with their learning at pre-school. Parents can discuss concerns with the key person or manager, and telephone during pre-school hours for an update.

Before a child starts, the settling arrangements include two come and play sessions and a home visit with the key person and a senior staff member. Start dates may be staggered when many new children join, and settling options are discussed with parents; if distress becomes a concern, staff contact the family and propose alternative approaches.

Learning journeys are the child's collection of observations and developmental information. IConnect supports these records, which are shared with parents at least three times a year. Families contribute their child's interests and achievements at home, then work with the key person on the next steps.

The parent committee handles finances, employment and policies. Families can help at sessions or contribute materials, and membership brings expectations of support.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified developmental concerns promptly, worked closely with parents and the special educational needs coordinator on early support, and helped children with SEND make excellent progress. The current arrangements include a SENCO role, and the setting holds the Level 1 Inclusion Award for SEND. The award recognises demonstrated inclusion standards; it is useful context alongside the practical discussion of a child's individual needs.

Staff hold paediatric first aid certificates and receive safeguarding and Prevent Duty training. The staff structure includes designated safeguarding officer and deputy roles.

Health information includes allergies, medical conditions and emergency care needs, which are shared with staff. Prescribed medication requires a completed form and clear dosage instructions, with parents countersigning the administration record at collection. Accidents are recorded and discussed with families.

Preparation for school includes arranging visits with the receiving school and inviting the new teacher to the pre-school. Assessment summaries are also made at transition points. The practical value is continuity: the next adults can begin getting to know the child before the move.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Grange United Reformed Church, Circuit Lane, Southcote, Reading, RG30 3HD. Opening hours are 8.50am to 3.20pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with school-holiday closures.

Morning sessions run from 8.50am to 11.50am; afternoon sessions run from 12.20pm to 3.20pm. Full-day care is also offered. The registration choices include mornings throughout the week, afternoons throughout the week, or a mixture of morning and afternoon sessions, up to a maximum of five sessions. Families can also combine one full day with three morning or afternoon sessions, or two full days with one morning or afternoon session, with Lunch Club charged for those combinations.

The form also sets out attendance using 30-hour funding: four full days without an additional attendance charge, or five full days with a charge for extra hours. Eligibility conditions still apply.

Registration involves returning the form with a birth certificate copy and proof of address. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0118 956 8528, by email at admin@thegrangepre-school.org.uk or through the contact form. The pre-school requests at least four weeks' notice for changes to attendance days, which depend on a permanent vacancy in the required pattern; families unable to give that notice should contact staff as soon as possible.

Funding and Paid Extras

Nursery Education Grant Funding provides 15 hours a week for eligible two-year-olds and all three- and four-year-olds; working families with children aged two, three or four may qualify for 30 Hour Extended Entitlement Funding. Delivery is term-time, and families claiming the early-learning funding for two-year-olds first need a code from Reading Borough Council.

Unfunded sessions and extra private sessions are charged, with payment by termly invoice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Fees remain payable for booked sessions missed through sickness or a term-time holiday, so absence does not remove that part of the childcare budget.

Lunch Club is supervised lunchtime care charged separately, with parents supplying a healthy packed lunch; staff prepare snacks, for which all parents are asked to pay a separate, non-returnable snack fee, including families using funded hours. Children have milk or water and fruit or vegetables at snack time, and families should share dietary requirements or allergies with staff.

Parents provide personal consumables, including nappies, wipes and sun cream, for funded and private attendance. Tax Free Childcare and childcare vouchers are accepted.

• Term-time cover. The weekday opening window ends at 3.20pm and the pre-school closes during school holidays. Families needing care beyond those hours or throughout the year need to account for that difference in their plans.
• Lunch and snack costs. Packed lunches come from home, lunchtime supervision is separately charged, and there is a separate snack fee. Request a written quotation for the chosen funded or private pattern, including these items, so the whole arrangement is clear.
• A hands-on parent role. The elected committee runs the setting and membership carries expectations of family support. At a visit, discuss how committee work, volunteering and other contributions fit your circumstances.
• Settling and individual support. Two introductory play sessions and a home visit form the starting arrangements, alongside a key person and SENCO role. Use a visit to discuss how those arrangements would work for your child's communication, care or additional needs, including current allergy practice where relevant.

The Grange suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full days within a term-time pre-school routine, especially parents who want an active part in the setting's life. Shared play, activities organised by school-leaving year and regular learning records give that partnership concrete substance.

Its Outstanding judgement dates to May 2022. The current decision turns on the fit between the child's needs, the parent-led model and the timetable, with packed lunches, separate food-related charges and holiday cover included in the family's planning.