Jackanory Pre-school

Two rooms with gardens of their own give Jackanory Pre-school a clear progression: children begin in the smaller Acorn Room and move to the larger Oak Room during the term in which they turn three. This is a preschool based at Chobham Community Centre, with capacity for 36 children in total. Its charity structure also gives parents a role beyond their own child's attendance, through a volunteer committee.

Ofsted rated Jackanory Good on 27 September 2022 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The detail behind that judgement matters: children were comfortable seeking help, enjoyed shared mealtimes and tackled physical challenges, while staff needed to develop richer conversations and make the curriculum's progression clearer.

Attendance is term-time only, with morning and full-day bookings. Wednesday sports with Potential Sports for Kids, an external provider running optional sessions, add a named activity alongside the room-based day.

Rooms and Ages

Acorn Room combines adult-guided activities with resources children can choose themselves, and its own garden has large equipment and ride-ons for physical play; children start here at two and move to Oak Room during the term of their third birthday. The combination gives younger children both an organised activity and the opportunity to make their own choices.

Oak Room has space for up to 28 children per session, activities shaped around their interests, freely chosen resources and a separate garden used daily in all weather. That figure is the room's maximum, rather than a promise about the number attending on a particular day. The outdoor provision belongs to the room itself, so garden time is part of its everyday offer.

Children can also spend lunchtime and the afternoon in Oak Room from two and a half. This makes the transition more gradual than a single move between rooms: younger children can experience part of the older room's day before their usual transfer point.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning and care, with play and activities helping children develop communication, independence and physical skills. Alongside that framework, Jackanory plans Oak Room activities around children's interests and gives Acorn Room children a combination of guided activity and independent choice. These are concrete ways the day accommodates both adult direction and children's own ideas.

Wednesday attendees can join Potential Sports for Kids sessions. Participation is optional and carries a separate charge; children do not have to take part to access their funded place. It is an addition to the preschool day, rather than a condition of attending.

In September 2022, stacking cups and kinetic sand were used to practise dexterity, while outdoor play included balancing courses and scooters on tarmac. An A-frame climbing wall gave children a physical challenge. Those examples show how the day then brought together small hand movements, balance and more energetic play.

The same September 2022 findings identified a limitation in teaching: activities did not consistently build knowledge in a clear sequence, and conversations sometimes stopped before extending children's thinking. The requested improvements were linked. Staff needed greater confidence in how learning developed over time, alongside stronger support for vocabulary and meaningful exchanges.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person approach supported close relationships with families and that staff used their knowledge of children's interests and earlier learning to shape their care. Familiarity had a practical purpose: during farm play, singing was used to help one child engage and feel more comfortable.

In September 2022, staff modelled considerate behaviour and helped children practise taking turns, with communication and social development receiving attention among younger children. Parents received updates through an online journal. Together, these observations describe care built around relationships and a continuing exchange between home and preschool, rather than activities alone.

A volunteer committee of parents and grandparents oversees the charity, with roles including chair, treasurer and secretary. This gives family involvement an organisational route as well as a day-to-day one.

Food was supplied from home in September 2022: parents provided snacks and lunches, with weekly menu suggestions supporting healthy choices. Staff shared allergy information with families so that packed food could take account of children's needs.

School preparation also had a practical basis in September 2022. The manager worked with local schools to understand the skills children would need for later learning; this was preparation for the next stage, rather than an admissions arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Chobham Community Centre, MacMahon Close, Chobham, GU24 8NG. Opening hours are 9.15am to 2.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; holidays broadly follow local Surrey schools, with some variation.

Oak Room morning sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm, and full-day sessions from 9.15am to 2.15pm, Monday to Friday. For children from two and a half, the lunchtime and afternoon option in Oak Room provides another step beyond their time in Acorn Room. The distinction between a morning booking and the longer day matters when fitting preschool around other care or family routines.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Early Learning for 2 year olds, Universal 15 Hours Funding and 30 Hours Working Parent Entitlement, subject to the relevant eligibility conditions. Funding is delivered during term time. Privately paid sessions and hours beyond funded entitlement are also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

For working-parent funding, families must obtain their eligibility code before the term when funding starts, complete the declaration and reconfirm eligibility every three months. An invalid or expired code makes the childcare sessions privately chargeable. This is an ongoing administrative responsibility, rather than a one-off application.

Invoices are issued half-termly, with payment due within one month. Booked sessions remain chargeable during illness, holidays and other absences, and late collection attracts a separate charge. Optional enrichment is voluntary and separately charged, with funded attendance accessible without participation. The fees and funding page sets out these arrangements.

• Learning progression. September 2022 findings called for clearer sequencing and more substantial conversations with children. On a visit, ask staff to demonstrate how a recent activity led to the next learning step and how they extend children's vocabulary.
• The room transition. Acorn Room children move during the term of their third birthday, while lunchtime and afternoon attendance in Oak Room can begin from two and a half. Discuss how that transition would work for your child and chosen sessions.
• The term-time timetable. Morning and full-day bookings both sit within a day ending at 2.15pm, and holiday dates broadly follow Surrey schools. Families need a care plan that fits those boundaries.
• Food from home. Parents supplied snacks and lunches in September 2022, with allergy information shared between preschool and families. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling practice before joining.

Jackanory suits families seeking either a morning preschool session or a full day within a term-time routine. Separate gardens for Acorn Room and Oak Room, an age-based move between them and optional Wednesday sports give its offer a clear shape.

Its September 2022 Good judgement came with requests for clearer learning progression and richer conversations. For families comfortable with the early finish and school-term calendar, the room progression and parent committee offer practical reasons to consider it.