New Trinity Pre-School

Creative play and a close connection with Trinity C of E Primary School give New Trinity Pre-School its character. This independently operated, committee-run charity sits in the school's grounds in central Henley-on-Thames. Children choose the direction of their play, with adults helping them develop it. The emphasis is on interests, conversation and growing confidence.

At its 12 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and found safeguarding effective. It has 24 places in total and accepts children aged two-and-a-half to five. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance can be combined, subject to a minimum booking of three sessions.

The strongest practical connection is with starting school: children visit school to play and meet teachers, while teachers also meet them at pre-school. That introduces people as well as surroundings. It does not confer a Reception place.

Learning and Activities

EYFS sets the standards for children's learning, development and care; here, children learn through play that they help direct, supported by adults. Their interests provide the starting point. The adult's role is to extend what children are doing, rather than make every activity a prescribed task.

In March 2024, creative work included beetle drawings for a spring weather display. Children used pencils, paint and chalk, then cut out their work and attached it to card. They could return to their creations later. That gave an activity room to develop beyond its first attempt, with opportunities to practise handling materials and talk about what they had made.

Stories also shaped the day in March 2024. Adults discussed unfamiliar words, invited children to predict the next part and encouraged them to join in with familiar phrases. This puts conversation inside an activity children already enjoy. Listening and speaking become part of sharing a story, rather than a separate exercise.

Physical exploration included moving water between a tray and a bucket in March 2024. Pretend cooking took place in the role-play area, with adults joining children's imagined situations. These are concrete examples of the play-based approach: handling resources, making choices and developing ideas with another person.

The same visit identified two points needing attention. Learning about healthy living needed more attention, including healthy eating within play. Some changes between activities, especially meals and tidying, left children restless rather than involved. Those concerns matter because the organisation of an ordinary day affects how much children can enjoy and use its learning opportunities.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for observing their skills and supporting their experience at pre-school. That gives the family a particular member of staff connected with their child's learning, rather than leaving communication entirely to whoever happens to be nearby.

Tapestry, an online learning journal, shares photographs and messages with parents through an app or browser. It gives families something concrete to look at and talk about with their child. In March 2024, parents also received spoken feedback each day and updates about development, helping them continue learning at home.

A volunteer committee runs the charity, and parents can contribute through committee roles or by giving some time. This is a practical route into the organisation of the setting. It may appeal to families who want involvement beyond receiving updates about their own child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised children needing extra help and used professional advice to shape individual support plans; children learning English received support through gestures and straightforward sentences. The useful detail is the mechanism: support was adapted to individual needs, with advice informing what adults did.

Staff training includes SENCO, safeguarding lead and paediatric first aid training. These are roles and arrangements families can discuss alongside a child's particular needs. In March 2024, adults also helped children recognise feelings, consider how their actions affected others and work through sharing resources. Emotional understanding was woven into their interactions.

School preparation includes visits where children stay and play, become familiar with teachers and explore their future surroundings. Teachers also visit the pre-school to meet children. The relationship therefore works in both directions, giving adults opportunities to get to know children before the move.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Trinity Primary School, Vicarage Road, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 1HJ. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and visits are arranged by appointment.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 12.30pm and include lunchtime; all-day sessions run from 8.45am to 3.10pm. Afternoon sessions are also offered and finish at 3.10pm. The minimum is three sessions, which may combine mornings, afternoons and all days. This gives families different ways to build attendance rather than requiring the same length of day throughout.

There is a waiting-list policy, with early registration recommended. Applications are submitted using an application form. Children already attending may request ad hoc sessions, subject to availability. This is an additional arrangement for existing children, rather than a promise of extra attendance whenever it is wanted.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15 hours from the term after a child's third birthday. The Government Extended 30 hour scheme is offered for eligible children, alongside two-and-a-half-year-old funding and new working family funding. Paid sessions are offered too, and childcare vouchers are accepted.

Funded sessions carry additional session charges, and snacks and consumables are charged separately through a combined termly charge. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their intended attendance and applicable funding. The session charges and termly charge need to be considered together when assessing the arrangement.

The pre-school describes a close relationship with Trinity C of E Primary School while operating independently. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. School visits support familiarity, but the admissions decision remains separate.

• Afternoon timing. The afternoon session's start is printed as 12.30am, while the morning ends at 12.30pm. Confirm the intended afternoon start before choosing a session combination.
• The everyday routine. March 2024 brought improvement points on healthy-lifestyle learning and the organisation of meals and tidying. During a visit, ask how healthy eating now enters play and how children stay involved between activities.
• Funding charges. Funded sessions have additional charges, alongside a termly snack and consumables charge. A written quotation should distinguish these so families can assess the whole attendance pattern.
• School familiarity and admission. Visits and teacher contact help children get to know school, but pre-school attendance does not guarantee admission. Keep the Reception application separate from the transition activities.

New Trinity Pre-School suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those combining these with all-day attendance. Child-directed play, a key-person system and Tapestry give its approach a clear shape; school visits add a practical bridge to the next stage.

Its March 2024 Good judgement provides the quality reference, with healthy-lifestyle teaching and transitions between activities the points to examine during a visit. The appeal is a preschool experience built around play, conversation and family contact, with several ways to arrange attendance.