Pippins Pre-school

A water wall, a mud kitchen and space to move between indoor play and a sheltered playground give Pippins Pre-school a clear practical character. Based at The Brick Pavilion in Farnborough, it combines child-chosen play with opportunities to practise communication, movement and everyday independence. There is capacity for 30 children in total. That is the whole setting's capacity, rather than a group size.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Pippins Good overall, found safeguarding effective and recognised how staff worked with families and professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children attending at that time were aged two to four. The strongest reasons to consider Pippins are its accessible indoor and outdoor play, personal preparation before starting and an oral-health programme with concrete daily practices.

The attendance calendar follows Hampshire term time, with 38 weeks of opening each year. This is an important practical distinction for families arranging childcare around working weeks.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning and care: activities develop language, movement, relationships, early literacy and mathematics through play and interaction. It is the shared foundation for early years provision. At Pippins, children can choose between a home corner, construction resources, a maths area and spaces for mark making or quieter play.

Choice comes with small responsibilities. Children are encouraged to put resources away before moving to another activity, giving tidying a place within the rhythm of play. The quiet corner also offers a different pace from construction or imaginative games. Children do not have to spend the whole day doing the same thing together.

In November 2024, dinosaur conversations gave staff an opportunity to introduce unfamiliar vocabulary, breaking longer names into manageable sounds for children to repeat. Physical play included balancing on monster feet and riding bicycles and tricycles over gentle slopes. These examples show language and movement being practised through something children wanted to do, rather than detached exercises.

Cookery Club has also connected practical tasks with early learning. In summer 2023, children made chocolate biscuit truffles; its activities included talking about ingredients and hygiene, exploring quantities and practising food preparation. Mixing, peeling and slicing gave children different ways to participate. This is a dated example of hands-on learning, rather than a promise about the present timetable.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor playground extends children's choices beyond the indoor areas. Its water wall and mud kitchen sit alongside construction play and a bikes and scooter area, while the sheltered space provides another setting for play. Free movement between these areas lets children change activity as their interests shift.

A living willow adds a natural feature to the outdoor space. Together, the provision supports both energetic movement and quieter investigation: riding calls for coordination, while water and construction resources invite children to experiment with what happens when they move or combine materials.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is allocated a key worker and a colour group, with these arrangements confirmed during a home visit shortly before starting. The visit can take place in person or virtually during term time. It gives the family a defined contact and an opportunity to discuss the child's needs before attendance begins.

Days and hours, the start date and any settling hours are agreed through this preparation. That makes settling an individual arrangement. Accessible toilets serve children who are potty trained, and changing facilities support those who are still learning.

In November 2024, everyday independence included practising coat fastenings, pouring drinks and using cutlery. These are useful preparations for managing ordinary routines, and younger children had time to practise rather than having every task completed for them.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: staff needed to extend older and more able children's thinking more consistently during play, and parents needed clearer individual learning priorities and a stronger exchange of information to support learning at home. These are specific limitations to weigh alongside the overall Good judgement.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Saving Smiles is an oral-health programme covering healthy food and drink, daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and dental visits; Pippins holds the Saving Smiles Award from Solent NHS Trust. When a child starts, families are asked about dental registration and receive information about local NHS dentists. The programme connects a nursery routine with care at home.

Hot lunches come from Slice of Pie, based in Farnham, with menus changing over a four-week cycle. This gives families a rotating menu to consider when planning their child's meals.

Sessions and Attendance

Pippins is at The Brick Pavilion, Queens Road, Farnborough, GU14 6DU. It follows Hampshire term time across 38 weeks of the year, with closures for bank holidays and staff training.

In November 2024, opening hours were 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. These are dated opening hours. The joining process involves agreeing each child's attendance days and hours, start date and settling arrangements with the family.

Getting There

Access from the Queens Road Recreation Ground car park follows the tarmac path along the left side of the recreation ground towards the pavilion. The recreation-ground entrance is between houses 120 and 122 Queens Road.

Funding and Paid Extras

Pippins accepts both 15 hours and 30 hours funding. Funding and the attendance agreement are separate parts of planning a place; families should use the nursery's current written quotation for prices.

Joining involves returning a registration form with an administration fee, followed by email confirmation. Branded T shirts, sweatshirts and bookbags can be bought directly, but uniform is optional. Families can therefore distinguish that purchase from the registration charge.

• Extending learning. In November 2024, teaching did not consistently stretch older and more able children during play. At a show-around, discuss how staff would build on the interests and abilities your child already brings.
• Communication at home. The November 2024 improvement priorities included clearer individual learning steps for parents. Explore how those priorities are now shared and how families contribute observations from home.
• Term-time planning. The 38-week calendar includes bank-holiday and staff-training closures. Families needing care throughout the year should weigh that attendance pattern against their working calendar.
• Starting and costs. Show-arounds take place during term time, and a home visit helps establish attendance and settling arrangements. What would your child's written quotation cover for meals, non-food consumables and any additional paid hours?

Pippins suits families seeking term-time preschool provision with child-chosen indoor and outdoor play, a key worker and preparation tailored to the child's start. The water wall, mud kitchen and Saving Smiles programme give that offer concrete substance. The November 2024 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific concerns about extending learning and helping parents continue it at home.

The decisive practical consideration is the term-time calendar. For families whose childcare needs fit that rhythm, Pippins offers an approach centred on play, everyday independence and an individually agreed attendance arrangement.