Jelly Beans Montessori Open Air Pre-School at Hockley Primary School

A wooded garden, daily outdoor Montessori activities and mud kitchen cooking give Jelly Beans Open Air a clear character: this is a preschool where weather shapes the play rather than stopping it. Based within Hockley Primary School in Chevening Gardens, it accepts children aged two to five. The outdoor setting is central to its appeal.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its 27 July 2022 inspection. That judgement provides a dated quality reference; the current offer centres on outdoor exploration, periodic Forest School sessions and practical activities. Forest School here includes natural crafts, den making and fire lighting with trained practitioners, so it adds specific experiences to ordinary garden play.

Families can choose full-time or term-time attendance, and the setting opens for 50 weeks each year. That choice matters for households balancing childcare with either year-round work or the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

Montessori is the approach used here, with children learning through practical activity and exploration. The early years foundation stage supplies the required framework for learning, development and care: in parent terms, play supports communication, movement, relationships and early understanding. Montessori sits alongside that framework rather than replacing it.

The daily outdoor programme includes studying nature, experimenting with water, digging and constructing dens. These activities give children different ways to investigate the same surroundings: handling materials, making things and deciding how to use the space. A digging pit and mud kitchen provide concrete places for that exploration.

In July 2022, everyday independence was evident in children preparing their snacks, pouring drinks and clearing spilled water themselves. Those are useful examples of practical learning because children take responsibility for a real task rather than merely rehearsing it in pretend play. Adults recognised their efforts to help.

Mathematics also arose within play in July 2022. Children counted bricks while constructing a maze, estimated what they would need next and compared lengths. Children made a den. They also chatted with friends while preparing pretend food in the play kitchen. The combination put number, language and cooperation into activities children had chosen to pursue.

Outdoor and Community Life

The wooded garden is used throughout the seasons. Climbing, adventure play and water activities form part of daily life, while Forest School runs periodically rather than to a stated weekly timetable. For families choosing an outdoor preschool, that distinction helps separate the everyday offer from the additional organised sessions.

In July 2022, children spent extended periods outdoors, riding tricycles, skipping and testing their balance on ropes and tree stumps. They also collected garden objects to help tell stories. The physical space supported both energetic movement and imaginative activity.

Other July 2022 experiences made the garden a place for close observation. Children watched wildlife quietly and discussed how wood changed as it dried. A world map prompted conversations about travel, and children joined celebrations and games from different cultures. These examples show the breadth of the inspection-era day beyond exercise alone.

During school holidays, children have exclusive access to the school's facilities. This gives the holiday offer an additional setting for activity beyond the preschool's wooded garden.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff identifying additional needs through assessment, then working with families and other professionals to adapt the curriculum. This is a dated account of support in practice, rather than a general promise about every child's experience.

The current team includes a Lead SENCO role, and support includes tailoring learning for children with special educational needs. For a family considering the setting, the useful point is the mechanism: additional support has an identified role within the team and can involve changes to the child's curriculum.

In July 2022, communication with families included scheduled meetings and everyday conversations about children's achievements. Parents were involved in learning and preparation for school. These exchanges provided different opportunities to share information, rather than relying on a single formal review.

Relationships between children also contributed to daily care in July 2022. Older children helped younger ones with belongings and noticed when they were upset. Staff handled disagreements calmly and sometimes gave older children space to resolve differences themselves. This balanced adult help with opportunities to practise cooperation.

Teaching was less consistent in July 2022. During dough making, adults missed opportunities to introduce more demanding vocabulary and develop the conversation. The improvement priority was to strengthen teaching and interactions, an important distinction for parents who value outdoor activity but also want adults to extend the learning within it.

Sessions and Attendance

The setting offers full-time and term-time attendance and opens for 50 weeks annually. Its opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. These are opening hours; the attendance choice is between year-round and term-time patterns.

Getting There

The address is Hockley Primary School, Chevening Gardens, Hockley, SS5 4UR. Enquiries can go directly to the Open Air setting on 01702 207373, and visits can be requested through the booking form.

Daily outdoor activity requires suitable clothing. The recommended kit includes wellies, puddle suits, a warm fleece and spare clothes, with snow suits for winter. Preparing that kit is part of making this particular childcare arrangement work comfortably.

Being on the Hockley Primary School site gives children opportunities to become familiar with a school environment. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Outdoor clothing. The garden is used in different weather conditions, and winter kit is part of the recommended clothing. Families should be comfortable with a preschool day built around outdoor activity.
• Teaching within play. In July 2022, dough making exposed missed opportunities to extend vocabulary. During a visit, ask how practitioners now develop children's language while supporting outdoor investigations.
• Settling and individual support. A Lead SENCO role forms part of the team. Ask how settling is organised and how a child's support plan would work within the outdoor day.
• Reception applications. Sharing the Hockley Primary School site offers familiarity with the surroundings, but attendance does not guarantee a school place. Keep the Reception application separate from the preschool decision.

Jelly Beans Open Air suits families seeking outdoor Montessori learning with either full-time or term-time attendance. The wooded garden, daily practical activities and periodic Forest School sessions give parents a clear basis for choosing it.

The July 2022 Good judgement sits alongside a specific teaching improvement priority. For families, the strongest decision is whether this outdoor way of learning fits their child, with adult interaction deserving as much attention as the garden itself.