Carmel Caterpillars Pre-School

A pack-away church hall, parent involvement and a small outdoor space give Carmel Caterpillars Pre-School its character. Based at Carmel Hall in Sittingbourne, this committee-run setting admits children from age two and has 30 places in total. Parents can help shape the pre-school through its committee and fundraising events. That makes participation part of the offer, rather than something confined to progress meetings.

At its 9 March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical choice is between morning and afternoon sessions, with the option to stay through lunch. Its appeal lies in play, relationships and community involvement, alongside specific improvement priorities from that dated assessment.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, supporting children's communication, social development and learning across its areas. Carmel Caterpillars puts emotional and social skills first, using activities, adult examples and resources to extend learning. Children choose resources during the day, giving them a say in what they explore rather than following only adult-selected tasks.

Computers and laptops are excluded from children's learning tools here, although other technology remains part of activities. The emphasis is on conversation, relationships and play. For parents, this is a concrete educational choice: the pre-school prioritises interaction while retaining opportunities to experience other forms of technology.

In March 2022, number activities were adjusted to children's starting points. Younger children paired numbered balls with matching cards; older children used pencils to explore addition and subtraction before recording equations. These examples show how the same area of learning could offer different levels of challenge. Small-group activities also gave children opportunities to practise sharing and taking turns, although some moved away before sustained learning developed.

Outdoor and Community Life

The church hall is packed away after use, and its small outdoor space is accessible during the day. This is a shared-hall model, so the physical arrangement matters as much as the activities. The outdoor area gives children another place to choose play alongside the indoor resources.

In March 2022, children used wooden planks for balancing in a secure garden, waited for turns and sought an adult's hand when they needed help. Another shared activity involved filling bird feeders and discussing possible food for birds. Both examples combined practical action with cooperation: children had to make choices while taking account of one another.

Spring Fayre and Nativity are among the events held during the year. Leavers Graduation marks the end of the school year for children moving on. These provide occasions beyond ordinary sessions for families to participate in pre-school life; the prospectus also includes community trips, coffee mornings and a yearly outing among opportunities for parent involvement.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is planned gradually. New children are introduced over a couple of weeks, and families can take up a home visit and accompanied play visits before the first session. The home visit offers a chance to discuss individual needs with a senior practitioner and, where possible, the child's key person. That creates continuity between the child's home life and the adults who will care for them.

A key person records each child's development and keeps in touch with parents, while the wider staff team also works with the child. Families can see their child's information, and a June open day provides an opportunity to look through the development folder and arrange a progress conversation. The two-year-old check is completed before the child turns three, with parents encouraged to share it with their health visitor.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff knew children well and worked constructively with parents, but required better opportunities for sustained concentration and quicker coordination with professionals when additional help was needed. Those two priorities matter together: engaging a child in learning and obtaining timely support both affect what the child can gain from sessions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SEND policy assigns a SENCO responsibility for support plans, records, liaison with parents and contact with outside agencies. Plans are reviewed, and the approach follows Assess, Plan, Do and Review: staff identify needs, plan a response, put it into practice and reconsider its effect. Parents contribute through observations, planning and review meetings, rather than simply receiving a finished plan.

Where concerns continue, the policy allows advice from professionals such as a Speech and Language Therapist or Health Visitor, with parental consent. Early Years Pupil Premium funding is also allocated with family input, following assessment of a child's needs. It can support resources, extra staff hours or training; progress is reviewed and spending reconsidered if the impact is smaller than expected.

Behaviour support includes helping children name feelings and understand the effect of their actions. The policy also uses adult-supported time out for repeated unacceptable behaviour, taking account of development. This is worth understanding alongside its emphasis on calm responses and work with parents. A collection password is required when someone other than the parent collects a child, providing a specific handover procedure.

Sessions and Attendance

Carmel Hall is on Ufton Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1JB. Morning sessions run from 9.15am to 11.45am and afternoons from 12.15pm to 2.45pm, Tuesday to Friday; Monday is closed. Children staying all day remain on site across the lunch interval. These patterns allow families to choose a shorter session or combine the two around lunch.

There are three main intakes: September, January and April. Admission starts at age two, depending on the point in the term when the child is due to begin. The waiting list operates in order of application, and families are asked to book future session requirements when joining. An application form and completed admissions paperwork are required before attendance begins.

An enquiry form, telephone and email provide contact routes. In March 2022, the pre-school operated only during term time. Advance payment can be daily, weekly, monthly or by term, and ordinary sickness or holiday absence remains chargeable. The deposit is a week's fees or a week's snack/fruit payment, credited when the child starts.

Funding and Paid Extras

Paid sessions and funded childcare are both offered. Funding includes 15 hours of Early Years Free Entitlement, working-parent entitlement and Education for 2-year-olds funding (EF2) for families meeting its criteria. Although the working-parent entitlement is 30 hours, this pre-school offers 26; entitlement eligibility and the nursery's starting age remain separate questions. Funding paperwork is completed before funding begins and renewed each term.

Snacks carry a separate contribution, while parents supply packed lunches with ice blocks; children remaining on site for lunch incur a supervision charge, including those using funded hours. Consumables also carry a contribution, while families of children in nappies provide spare nappies, wipes and nappy sacks and take soiled nappies away. Current prices come in the provider's written quotation, with the charge structure explained on its fees page.

For moving on, the pre-school describes itself as a feeder for local schools including Tunstall and Grove Park. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process. The relationship should be understood as a description of onward destinations, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Concentration and timely support. The March 2022 priorities concerned sustained engagement and earlier help from other professionals. During a visit, ask how activities now hold children's attention and how referrals are followed through.
• The shared hall. This is a pack-away setting with a small outside area. A visit can help you judge how the layout and outdoor access suit your child's preferred play.
• Funding and lunch arrangements. The working-parent offer is 26 hours, and lunch supervision is charged separately even during funded attendance. Discuss the intended session combination and current term calendar before committing.
• Parent participation and behaviour. Committee membership and fundraising are part of this community-run model, while the behaviour policy includes supported time out. Consider the participation you can offer and discuss how staff respond when a child struggles.

Carmel Caterpillars suits families seeking morning or afternoon pre-school sessions, or a combined day with packed lunch, who value opportunities to participate in a community-run setting. Gradual settling, key-person contact and family involvement in support planning give the offer substance. The Good judgement belongs to March 2022. Its improvement priorities deserve attention alongside the current session choices, shared-hall environment and additional charges.