South Moreton Preschool

An open-plan play space leading into a large garden gives South Moreton Preschool its defining shape: children can choose activities indoors and take their learning outside. It occupies the grounds of South Moreton Primary School, with 26 places in total. The school setting brings a practical constraint too: families share access to the grounds rather than using a separate preschool entrance.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged 2 to 4. The strongest examples from that period were everyday ones: choosing resources independently, talking through disagreements and practising the small responsibilities that make group life work.

Today, the attendance offer combines morning and afternoon sessions with lunch and earlier starts during term time. A key person supports each child's settling and works with parents on individual interests and needs.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes learning through play, exploration and practical activity, covering language, physical development, relationships and later skills such as reading and mathematics. Here, children choose activities in smaller and larger groups, both outside and indoors. That gives families a useful picture of the day: shared experiences sit alongside opportunities for children to pursue their own interests.

The open-plan environment has adaptable activity spaces, with the garden extending the places where children can play. This is a shared preschool environment rather than an account built around separate age-specific rooms. Its practical attraction is the connection between indoor choices and outdoor activity.

In June 2023, children practised pencil movements by following shapes and making patterns. A small-group conversation about food encouraged them to explain preferences, while outdoor bicycle play provided opportunities to negotiate turns. These examples show how early writing, conversation and social learning could grow out of ordinary play rather than being confined to separate lessons.

An additional example comes from the 2024/25 academic year: Early Years Pupil Premium, extra funding supporting disadvantaged children aged 3 and 4, paid towards learning resources, additional support in the room and a weekly dance and movement class from Kinecroft Academy of Dance. The resources addressed mathematics, communication and personal development. This is a dated example of how the preschool used additional funding, rather than a promise about the present timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is allocated a key person on joining. That practitioner helps with settling, gets to know the child's interests and works with the family on individual needs. For parents, the value is a clear relationship through which to discuss how their child is managing preschool life.

Communication extends beyond updates at collection. Daily conversations, individual meetings, home visits and parent workshops are part of the offer. Families can also borrow books and educational resources through a lending library, giving them something tangible to use at home. Newsletters and other family information can be translated where appropriate.

Parents have a route into the running of the preschool as well as their own child's learning. A management committee meets regularly to oversee policies and procedures, and parents can attend meetings or join it. This suits families who want an active role in the setting's decisions, although joining the committee is an invitation rather than an attendance requirement.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator role provides a point of contact for additional needs. The safeguarding structure includes a child protection officer and deputy, with routes for raising concerns through local services. These are arrangements families can discuss alongside their child's individual support needs.

Healthy Smiles Accreditation recognises the preschool's work on oral health, including healthy eating, hygiene and tooth brushing. Families provide a packed lunch for children staying over lunchtime, so preparing food is part of the home routine.

In June 2023, staff explained personal-care routines to children and encouraged handwashing after nappy changes. They also used conversations about summer weather to introduce sun hats and sun cream. These were practical opportunities to help children understand why they look after themselves.

The June 2023 inspection identified staff development as the improvement priority: practitioners needed further coaching and training to become more confident taking responsibility for routines and supporting children. At that time, some staff stepped back when the manager led the room. This matters because children benefit from support across the team, rather than relying heavily on one adult's direction.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool is at High Street, South Moreton, Didcot, OX11 9AG. Sessions run Monday to Friday during term time. The AM Session lasts from 9am to noon, and the PM Session from 1pm to 3pm; the Lunch Session runs between noon and 1pm.

Earlier attendance takes two forms: Breakfast Club Session runs from 8am to 9am, while Early Start Session runs from 8.35am to 9am. Bookings must include at least two sessions across two different days. New children start at the beginning of the funding terms in September, January or April, so the entry calendar matters as much as the chosen weekly pattern.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01235 819657 or by email to southmoretonpreschool@googlemail.com. Families can arrange a tour, and application, registration and session-booking forms support the joining process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time: the 15-hour entitlement for eligible two-year-olds receiving additional support, the universal 15-hour entitlement for children aged 3 and 4, and the working-parent 30-hour entitlement for ages 2 to 4. Eligibility conditions apply. Additional attendance beyond funded sessions is charged privately, and government funding cannot be used for Breakfast Club or Early Start sessions.

Parents supply packed lunches, including when children attend funded sessions. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the sessions and fees page explains the attendance and funding structure.

Getting There

Parking can be difficult around collection and drop-off, so allow time for it. Because access is through the primary school's grounds, staff escort families at the set session boundaries and punctuality matters.

Sharing the site with South Moreton Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Session boundaries. Term-time morning and afternoon bookings offer different attendance choices, but access through school grounds requires punctual collection. On a tour, consider how the set times fit your working day.
• Earlier starts and funding. Breakfast Club and Early Start are privately charged sessions that cannot use government funding. Include those hours when comparing the cost of your intended pattern.
• Team confidence. In June 2023, coaching and staff responsibility were the improvement priorities. Ask how practitioners now share leadership of daily routines.
• Personal-care supplies. If your child needs nappies or other personal-care items, ask what you should bring for their sessions.

South Moreton Preschool suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon attendance, with lunch and earlier starts offering additional choices. Its open-plan space, garden, key-person arrangement and lending library give parents concrete reasons to consider it, especially if they want to participate in preschool life through the committee or home-learning activities.

The practical fit rests on punctual school-site access and a booking across different days. The dated Good judgement supports consideration, while the staff-development priority deserves a direct conversation about how the team works now.