Whitchurch On Thames Pre School

An allotment, science experiments and music made with recycled instruments give this village pre-school a character beyond its classroom. Whitchurch On Thames Pre School serves children aged two to four within Whitchurch Primary School’s grounds, with 24 places in total. A parent committee runs the charitable setting, making family involvement part of how it works rather than simply a calendar of social occasions.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, highlighting personalised settling, communication and relationships with families, while calling for more precise teaching during some activities and better use of group story times. That judgement predates the replacement building, completed in December 2024. The building is newer than the assessment of the care and teaching.

Morning and afternoon sessions run during term time, with separate arrangements for lunch, early drop-off and late collection. The practical appeal is a combination of shorter attendance patterns, substantial outdoor activity and preparation for Reception, rather than a year-round childcare timetable.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning through play, covering communication, physical and emotional development alongside early reading, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. Children choose and pursue activities themselves as well as joining work led by practitioners. This gives the day both room for individual interests and opportunities to practise taking part with others.

Mini Professors adds separately charged weekly science with an external facilitator. Experiments, stories and videos explore subjects such as volcanoes, storms and the solar system, giving children practical ways to investigate ideas.

Boogie Mites uses singing, movement and percussion with recycled instruments and props, both throughout the day and in a separate session. Tapping out sounds connects music with language and practising sequences.

Weekly cooking brings measuring and coordination into making food to share with families. These activities add practical experiences alongside the common EYFS foundation.

In June 2022, repeated stories helped children become familiar with books and how narratives work, while conversations with adults created opportunities to practise speaking and listening. The teaching caveat was specific: some interactions drifted away from the activity’s intended learning, and large-group listening needed more attention to helping children participate independently. An interesting activity and a clear teaching purpose are separate questions here.

Outdoor and Community Life

Parents and carers help maintain the frequently used allotment, alongside playgrounds and an outdoor classroom. Forest School adds practical learning in nature through problem-solving.

Regular walks often follow Muddy Lane towards the community maze. Children observe plants, trees and animals, sometimes collecting materials for classroom creations, connecting outdoor discoveries with making.

Hygge, an approach centred on warmth, comfort and self-care, influences the indoor and outdoor spaces through the use of natural wood. The replacement building also brings an updated layout and an emphasis on efficient use of space and energy.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person and a buddy for days when that practitioner is absent. Settling is adapted to the child, with parents welcome to stay initially so familiarity can develop gradually.

Famly, the parent communication platform, holds learning records, photographs and videos. Parents can message staff and contribute observations from home, helping practitioners plan around children’s interests and achievements.

Regular observations inform development summaries, including at transitions. The key person completes the progress check at age two, drawing on everyday observations and contributions from families and other professionals. This creates a link between day-to-day play and a more considered discussion of development, rather than relying only on isolated photographs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes a SENCO role, designated safeguarding lead roles and paediatric first-aid training. Settling discussions help families explain what supports their child.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, finding that staff understood how to recognise and escalate concerns and that supervision and recruitment arrangements supported children’s safety. In June 2022, adults also modelled perseverance during races, showing that mistakes and losing could be handled calmly; children encouraged one another. That example makes the approach to emotional learning more concrete than a general statement about kindness.

Independence is practised through managing clothing and using the toilet, with protective clothing supplied for messy activities. Families provide a healthy snack for each session and may send a packed lunch or choose a separately charged hot lunch. Parents also supply a water bottle and sun cream, making preparation at home part of the daily routine.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoon sessions from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Lunch occupies 11.45am to 12.15pm; early drop-off runs from 8.30am to 8.45am, and late collection from 3.15pm to 3.30pm. These separate blocks let families distinguish teaching sessions from the additional time around them.

Attendance follows weekdays in term time, including Whitchurch Primary School’s inset-day closures. That calendar matters for families whose working year continues through school holidays. Interest can be registered through the pre-school’s registration form, with enquiries also handled by email or telephone.

The address is Whitchurch Primary School, Eastfield Lane, Whitchurch On Thames, Reading, RG8 7EJ. Its position within the school grounds also supports a concrete transition activity: Rising Fives prepares children who will start school the following September through instruction-following, early handwriting, number games and cooperative small-group work. During summer term, children spend time reading a story with the teacher in Whitchurch Primary School Willow Class. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded attendance is offered during term time: 15 hours per week for all three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours per week for eligible working parents, and 15 hours per week for eligible two-year-olds. Funded hours do not depend on buying additional services. Eligibility codes and supporting documents may be needed by the relevant deadlines, and attendance beyond an entitlement, or without eligibility, is charged privately.

Optional hot lunches are charged separately, including during funded attendance; packed lunches carry no additional meal charge. Parents supply snacks and sun cream. Mini Professors also carries an additional session charge.

A fully refundable application deposit has different treatment according to attendance: for funded hours it is returned by the term’s headcount date, while for unfunded hours it is credited against the final invoice, with any remaining credit returned. Bills are issued before each half term and must be paid within 30 days; missed attendance does not receive a fee refund. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, with the charge structure explained on the fees page.

Voluntary donations are separate from childcare charges and funded entitlement. Parent involvement can also mean committee work, baking for a fundraiser or attending events. There is a real community role here, but financial contributions remain a choice.

• Term-time rhythm. Morning and afternoon sessions follow the primary school’s calendar and inset days. Families working through holidays will need a childcare arrangement that covers those closures.
• Teaching precision. The June 2022 findings called for clearer attention to intended learning and more independent participation during group times. On a visit, ask how those two areas are now addressed in everyday activities.
• A newer building. Construction finished in December 2024, after the graded inspection. A visit is an opportunity to see how the current layout supports the indoor programme and access to outdoor learning.
• Support for an individual child. A key person, buddy and SENCO role provide identifiable routes for discussion. Ask how those roles would work together for your child’s settling or additional needs.

Whitchurch suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school sessions, outdoor exploration and an active relationship with practitioners. The allotment, Mini Professors and Boogie Mites give the learning programme substance, while Rising Fives makes preparation for Reception practical. Term-time attendance is a firm consideration. The Good judgement from June 2022 provides a dated assessment, with specific teaching improvements to discuss alongside the benefits of the newer building.