St Paulinus Pre School

A church hall, a garden used daily and a charity shaped by its families give St Paulinus Pre School a clear identity. Based at St Paulinus Centre in Edenbridge, it combines an open indoor play space with outdoor equipment and practical preparation for primary school. There are 24 places in total.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. Two improvements were required: broadening children's understanding of communities beyond their own and organising routines so that learning suffered fewer interruptions. Those are useful questions to keep alongside the positive judgement.

The preschool caters for two to five year olds and operates for 36 weeks a year, with morning and afternoon sessions plus Lunch Club. Its charity model gives parents a formal part in its running, rather than limiting their involvement to conversations about their own child.

Learning and Activities

The large hall accommodates construction toys, a book corner, painting and play dough, alongside pretend shopping and dressing up. These are different ways into learning: building invites children to solve practical problems, while imaginative play gives them reasons to talk, negotiate and invent. The shared hall is the central indoor space.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care, covering children's development through play and everyday experiences. Here, the daily timetable includes child-chosen activities, craft work with an adult and quieter story or discussion time. Staff can work with children individually or in small groups, allowing adult guidance to sit alongside independent choices.

In November 2024, children practised early writing through painted marks and recognised their names on coat pegs. Pretend care of baby dolls connected play with the experience of having younger siblings. These were concrete starting points for language and imagination, rooted in things children understood.

The same month's learning about place drew on familiar town buildings during play with a roadway mat. The limitation was the next step outwards: children needed more opportunities to encounter people and communities beyond their immediate surroundings. A local starting point has value, but the curriculum needed to extend it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Artificial grass covers the outdoor play area, which is used daily. Bikes and water play give children opportunities to move and experiment beyond the hall. Children also use climbing frames. A sandpit, water station and mini trampoline were purchased for the garden, extending the equipment available for outdoor activity.

Garden use continues through colder weather, with heavy rain the stated exception. Spare clothes matter because water play can leave children wet; named coats, hats and gloves are part of the winter routine. This is an outdoor offer that families need to dress for.

The annual Easter Bonnet parade and egg hunt bring home preparation into preschool life: children bring a bonnet made at home, and families can watch the parade. Annual sports day includes a family picnic afterwards. A Nativity play and Christmas party also featured in the 2025 celebrations, giving the year recognisable shared occasions rather than making every gathering a separate club.

Relationships and Communication

Keyworker consultations give parents a dedicated opportunity to discuss their child, with follow-up meetings offered to families who miss the arranged consultations. That matters more than a general invitation to get in touch: there is a specific person and a route to a conversation about development.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that assessment helped staff identify developmental gaps and share next steps with parents, while targeted plans and work with specialist services supported children with SEND. Signing and picture cards helped children express needs and understand what would happen next. The practical value was communication that did not depend solely on spoken language.

In November 2024, staff also helped children recognise feelings through stories and visual prompts. Everyday independence included pouring drinks and washing dishes after eating. These small responsibilities gave children opportunities to do things for themselves, rather than making school preparation solely about early writing.

For everyday contact, telephone calls or texts are the route for reporting a morning absence. Emails are checked in the evening, so they suit queries that can wait. Regular newsletters cover activities, clothing, health arrangements and consultations, keeping practical information together.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SEND policy sets out a SENCO role and an assess, plan, do and review process involving parents. It includes personalised planning, referral routes to speech therapy and the Local Inclusion Forum Team, and applications for the Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund and Disability Access Fund. These are mechanisms for arranging support; they are more useful to families than a general promise of inclusion.

A designated safeguarding lead and deputy provide named roles for raising concerns, while collection arrangements include a password for someone collecting on a parent's behalf. The team also includes practitioners with early-years and pre-school training.

School preparation continues through everyday self-care. In Summer 2026, older children worked on writing their names, managing shoes and clothes, and using the toilet independently, with families encouraged to continue those skills at home. The emphasis is practical readiness for the next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at St Paulinus Centre, Hillcrest Road, Marlpit Hill, Edenbridge, TN8 6JS. Opening hours changed in Autumn 2025: the day begins at 9am, the morning session finishes at noon, Lunch Club ends at 1pm and the afternoon session finishes at 3pm. Morning and afternoon sessions offer different attendance options.

Three-hour sessions and Lunch Club have separate charges. Lunch Club operates Monday to Friday when numbers are sufficient, so that condition matters to anyone building lunch into a regular childcare arrangement. The preschool runs during term time for 36 weeks, with holiday breaks set out in its term calendar.

Telephone and email enquiries are accepted, and a contact form provides a route to download a prospectus. Optional blue sweatshirts and T-shirts can be ordered for children who want to wear uniform. Comfortable clothing and spare clothes remain the practical priorities for play.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the free for two scheme and 30 funded hours, subject to eligibility, alongside privately paid sessions. Attendance follows the term-time calendar. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, with separate charges for sessions and Lunch Club.

Consumables carry a separate session charge. Parents apply sun cream before attendance in sunny weather; for afternoon children, staff reapply preschool-supplied sun cream, with families asked to raise any concern about the product. Snacks form part of the day, and children are encouraged to help prepare fruit, spread butter and pour drinks.

Getting There

Double yellow lines outside the preschool must be kept clear. The restriction matters to everyone collecting or bringing a child, including relatives who may be less familiar with Hillcrest Road.

• Curriculum and routines. The November 2024 improvement points concerned learning about other communities and interruptions during daily routines. On a visit, ask how both have been addressed, including how handwashing and group activities now fit together.
• Charity governance. In Summer 2026, the preschool sought a replacement trustee and warned that losing too many trustees could put continued operation at risk. Families should discuss the present trustee position and the contribution they could make.
• Lunch and afternoon planning. Lunch Club depends on sufficient numbers, while morning and afternoon attendance offer different patterns. Ask for a written arrangement covering the sessions you intend to book and how lunch fits between them.
• Illness rules. The preschool requires children to stay away for 72 hours after starting antibiotics and for 24 hours after Calpol, ibuprofen or similar medicine. These provider rules can affect the amount of backup care a family needs.

St Paulinus suits families seeking term-time preschool with either morning or afternoon attendance, daily garden play and opportunities to take part in a parent-supported charity. The hall, outdoor equipment and practical independence work give it a recognisable character. Its November 2024 judgement provides a positive quality benchmark, with clear improvement points to follow up.

The decision also has a practical side: Lunch Club is conditional on numbers, illness exclusions need planning, and the trustee position deserves attention. For families comfortable with those arrangements, the appeal is a preschool where play, self-care and family participation sit closely together.