Thorpe Nursery Preschool

A charity run by volunteer trustees, a setting designed for children to move freely between play spaces, and a settling process that starts with a key person: Thorpe Nursery Preschool has a clear character. Based at Manor Farm House in Thorpe, it cares for children aged two to five and has capacity for 40 children. Its emphasis is on play, relationships and helping each child settle at their own pace.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that staff understood individual needs, including those of children with special educational needs and disabilities. That assessment provides a useful foundation, alongside two specific improvements concerning explanations of behaviour boundaries and support during larger group activities.

Attendance is term-time only, with flexible session times within the weekday opening hours. This is a preschool timetable that families need to fit around their working day and school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop communication, physical and social skills through play and everyday experiences. At Thorpe, freedom to move between activities is part of the arrangement. The Soft Play Area, Role Play Area and Book Corner give children different ways to participate, from physical play to make-believe and quieter time with books.

In September 2023, dinosaur stories became a starting point for connected activities. Children explored dinosaur names, made dough and pressed toy dinosaurs into it to create patterns. The value was in the connection: a story could lead into conversation, making and experimenting, rather than finish when the book closed.

Questioning also formed part of the day in September 2023. Staff gave children thinking time before expecting an answer, allowing them to develop and express their ideas. Discussions included Eid, introducing children to a cultural tradition through conversation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is a daily part of the routine, with families asked to send suitable coats for wet weather. That makes clothing a practical part of participation, rather than an afterthought. Clothes that children can manage themselves also support independence during a messy, active day.

In September 2023, children used trees, tyres and climbing walls for balancing and climbing. These were concrete opportunities to practise movement and judge how to use equipment safely. Active choices sat alongside calmer activities and places to rest, giving children ways to change pace during the day.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with a parent or carer spending time alongside their child and meeting the allocated key person. Families complete All About Me information, giving staff a starting point for understanding the child before regular attendance begins.

A subsequent settling visit includes a brief separation, lasting up to one hour, after the parent has helped their child settle with the key person. Scheduled attendance follows if that stage goes well, but the process can be adjusted to the individual child. The important feature is the sequence: familiarity comes before separation, and the child's response shapes the pace.

In September 2023, staff shared children's activities with parents and encouraged families to contribute learning from home. Bertie Bear, taken home for adventures that children later discussed with friends, gave that exchange a tangible form. It linked family experiences with conversation back at nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The current staff structure includes a SENCO role, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. These identify responsibilities within the team; they are separate from the dated judgement about how effectively arrangements worked.

In September 2023, staff worked with speech and language therapists and used simple signs to support communication. Sensory activities helped children pause and regain their attention when overwhelmed, while additional funding supported individual settling time. These examples show the practical forms support took at that point.

The September 2023 improvement points called for more consistent explanations of why behaviour rules matter and for staff to recognise sooner when children needed help to participate during larger group activities. These are relevant questions for families whose children need extra help understanding expectations or joining group time.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Manor Farm House, Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

Flexible attendance uses specified arrival and departure points. Children can start at 8.30am, 8.45am, 9am or 9.15am, then leave at noon, 1pm or 3.30pm. Earlier departures and attendance through to the afternoon therefore sit within the same opening day; families can consider which endpoint fits their child's routine.

Applications use a registration form, which can be submitted through the contact form, emailed or handed to the nursery. Withdrawal before school entry requires a full month's written notice or payment instead; changing attendance days or times also requires a full month's written notice. Holiday and sickness absences receive no refund.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours free entitlement to early years education from the term after a child's third birthday, with a consent form required each term. Working parents may qualify for 30 hours funded childcare. Free Early Education for Two year olds (FEET) provides up to 15 hours a week for children meeting its eligibility criteria. Attendance is term-time only.

Private hours are charged beyond the funded entitlement and for children under three, subject to the separate FEET offer. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page explains the charging structure.

Children bring lunchboxes, with cool packs supplied by families throughout the year. There is a non-refundable registration charge for non-funded children and a refundable deposit when a place is accepted, under the fees policy.

• Group participation. The September 2023 improvement points concerned explaining boundaries and responding promptly during larger group activities. At a visit, ask how staff now support a child who becomes distracted or uncertain during group time.
• Term-time timetable. The latest departure is 3.30pm and attendance follows term time. Families needing later care or holiday cover should weigh that timetable against their wider arrangements.
• Settling and lunch. The settling sequence includes time with a key person and a short separation, while families supply lunchboxes and cool packs. Use a visit to discuss your child's separation needs and any dietary requirements, including what families supply for personal care.

Thorpe suits families seeking either shorter attendance ending around lunchtime or a preschool day continuing into the afternoon, within a term-time routine. Its strongest practical features are the gradual key-person settling process and the choice of spaces for active, imaginative and quieter play.

The September 2023 Good judgement gives the assessment weight, but the group-time and behaviour improvement points deserve attention. For a family whose timetable fits, the combination of flexible endpoints and an individually paced start makes this a useful option to consider.