Netherfield Pre-School

A smaller retreat for toddlers, a private garden and weekly summer-term visits to a Reception classroom give Netherfield Pre-School a clear character: play, growing independence and preparation for the next step. This charity-run setting occupies a purpose-built, single-level building in Netherfield, near Battle, with capacity for 24 children and an accepted age range of 2–5 years.

At its October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding, finding children highly independent and eager to learn, with a curriculum that developed their curiosity through their interests.

A committee of trustees oversees the pre-school, and an early years teacher leads the team. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings operate within a term-time timetable.

Rooms and Ages

Toddlers, the 2-year-old group, usually join the main preschool room but can use a smaller, quieter room with a familiar key person nearby; sensory materials, stories and songs support language, movement and imaginative play. This is a choice of setting within the day, rather than a promise that younger children spend their whole session separately.

Pre-School, the 3-year-old group, has a main room with spaces for construction, writing, messy play and home role-play, alongside a sensory/quiet den, ball pit and sand pit, with cooking, investigations, stories and access to the garden balancing independent choices with planned activities. The den gives children somewhere to pause, while the other areas allow different kinds of play to happen within the same room.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides the programme: children learn through play, developing communication, movement and social skills. Guided activities sit alongside child-led exploration, with practitioners adapting their plans to each child's interests and stage of development.

Cooking and investigations provide practical opportunities to follow a process, try ideas and work with others. Story and circle times bring quieter shared moments into the day. In the younger group, sand, water and play dough support sensory exploration, while simple mark-making activities develop hand-eye coordination. Children can explore indoors and outside throughout their sessions.

In October 2023, children searched sand for bugs and discussed how to move them safely into the bug garden. Another activity involved learning to control pipettes before combining water and cornflour. These examples connect physical skills with investigation: handling an object carefully becomes part of finding out what it can do.

Mathematical ideas also appeared in October 2023 play. Filling and emptying containers brought capacity into conversation, while counting and comparing sizes gave everyday materials an educational purpose. Staff used shared planning discussions to help children think through activities and understand why rules mattered, including consideration for other children using the ball pool.

Outdoor and Community Life

The private garden and play area extend the indoor provision, with free-flow outdoor play included in the older group's routine.

An End of Year Trip brings children and parents together on the final day of the summer term to mark the departure of the oldest children. Past destinations include Drusillas, Wilderness Woods and Knockhatch Adventure park. This is a family outing linked to the end of preschool, rather than a weekly excursion programme.

Relationships and Communication

A key person supports each child's development, and settling arrangements are tailored to the child. The usual starting point is a short session accompanied by a parent or carer, with time increased as needed. An initial out-of-hours settling visit allows a child to meet staff and explore the space before joining a busy session.

Electronic learning journals bring together photographs, observations and examples of children's work, helping staff and families discuss progress and next steps. Everyday communication uses WhatsApp and the online learning journal, supported by noticeboards and termly newsletters; urgent matters prompt a telephone call or consultation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the individual support for children with SEND, including cooperation with other professionals and careful use of additional funding to address learning needs. Current support arrangements include a SENCO role and discussions with families and local authorities about adjustments, additional help and funding where appropriate; one-to-one support is considered individually.

Children do not have to arrive already toilet-trained. Staff support toilet learning according to the child's stage, and the daily routines include opportunities to practise self-care. In October 2023, children helped themselves to snacks, poured drinks, cut fruit and managed their outdoor clothing. These were practical chances to do things for themselves, with independence built into ordinary tasks.

The Daily Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme forms part of SCFT Oral Health Promotion and introduces supervised brushing into preschool life. Healthy snacks are provided daily, while families supply packed lunches for sessions that include lunch. The allergy policy requires parental information and a care plan, with staff training and procedures intended to reduce cross-contact.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Netherfield C of E Primary School, Darvel Down, Netherfield, Battle, TN33 9QF. Opening hours are 9am–3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closures for school holidays, bank holidays and inset or training days.

Morning sessions run from 9am–noon, with a longer morning option from 9am–1pm. Afternoon sessions are noon–3pm, and a full day runs from 9am–3pm. All sessions must be booked in advance.

Applications begin through the contact form or a telephone enquiry, followed by a visit, an application form and written confirmation of the arrangements. If the setting is full, an enquiry can place a child on the waiting list, with families contacted when a space becomes available. No deposit is charged to secure a place; acceptance of an offer leads to written confirmation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can take government-funded places for 15/30 hours free childcare, delivered within the term-time operation. Non-funded attendance and additional hours are charged separately. The fee structure includes funded morning, afternoon and full-day periods, with parents supplying packed lunches for the periods spanning lunch, including funded attendance.

Invoices are issued termly, and payment can be made by bank transfer or cash. Current prices should be obtained in a written quotation from the pre-school. Funding paperwork forms part of the application process, and staff can help with the documentation when funded hours are split between providers.

Getting There and Moving On

There is no on-site parking: families use the nearby residential estate, observing local restrictions and parking considerately. The building is wheelchair accessible.

The pre-school describes a partnership with Netherfield School, involving weekly Reception-classroom visits during the summer term. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. For children moving elsewhere, staff liaise with teachers, invite them to preschool where possible and display teacher photographs to make unfamiliar people more recognisable.

Rising 5's, the school-transition group, practises routines through classroom role-play, stories about starting school, trying uniforms and PE kits, and games involving listening and turn-taking. Conversations about children's feelings accompany the practical preparation.

• Term-time cover. Sessions end at 3pm and the pre-school closes for school holidays, bank holidays and training days. Families whose work continues beyond those hours or dates need an attendance plan that accommodates those closures.
• A younger child's settling plan. Toddlers usually share the main room, with a smaller retreat available and gradual, parent-accompanied settling. During a visit, discuss how staff would use those arrangements for your child and recognise when a quieter space would help.
• Funding and daily supplies. Funded places depend on eligibility, additional hours are charged, and lunch comes from home. Obtain a written quotation for your chosen sessions.
• School familiarity and admissions. Weekly summer-term visits support familiarity with Netherfield School, but do not secure a place. Treat the Reception application as a separate decision and process.

Netherfield suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance as well as a full preschool day within school terms. Its strongest practical features are the quieter option for younger children, a garden used alongside indoor play, individual settling arrangements and school-transition activities that make unfamiliar routines more concrete.

The October 2023 Outstanding judgement gives weight to that offer, while the actual attendance timetable remains decisive for parents. This is a preschool with several session choices and a clear school-preparation programme; its term-time calendar and 3pm finish need to fit the family's wider arrangements.