Little Oaks Hurst Green Pre-School

Child-led play and a more structured next step sit alongside each other at Little Oaks Hurst Green Pre-School. Children can choose between indoor and outdoor play, while Acorns Class gives older children dedicated practice in listening, name-writing and following instructions. That combination gives families something concrete to weigh: room for children to follow their interests, with additional preparation as school approaches.

Based at Hurst Green Community Association in Oxted, this charity-run preschool has 34 places in total and offers sessional preschool care for children aged two to five. At its 14 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective. The strongest practical details include a daily borrowing basket, a snack routine that encourages children to serve themselves, and opportunities to explore local parks.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday interactions help children build communication, physical skills and understanding. Here, children take the lead in their development, with staff supporting them when needed. Choosing whether to play indoors or outside gives that approach a practical expression rather than leaving it as an abstract philosophy.

Acorns Class runs on Mondays and Wednesdays for older children. Its activities cover listening, following directions, writing names and more advanced mathematical work, and children finish with a collection of their work from across the year. For parents, that gives a tangible account of the preparation taking place. The class adds a more directed strand to a day otherwise shaped around children's play.

In March 2024, sessions included proposal time, a short gathering with singing and an introduction to the activities children could choose. Later, children talked with staff about what they had enjoyed and listened to a poem. These bookends gave the session a shared beginning and an opportunity to look back on the day's experiences.

Learning also involved precise hand movements and practical comparisons. In March 2024, children used pipettes while making perfume and potions, manipulated dough to music, and sorted pretend worms by length using tweezers. These are useful examples of physical development and mathematical thinking happening through play, rather than relying solely on adult-led questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

Nature walks take children to local parks, and the preschool shares celebrations with a neighbouring residential home. The two experiences extend children's world beyond their immediate play space: one brings contact with nature, the other with people from another generation. Neither needs to be dressed up as an elaborate programme to have practical value.

The library basket in the hallway is accessible every day, with books for children to take home and enjoy with their families. It gives parents a simple way to continue shared reading beyond preschool. Returning and choosing books also makes borrowing part of an ordinary routine.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2024, children had consistent key persons, and staff exchanged information about their interests, development and next learning steps. Older children also helped younger children find staff support and choose where to play. These details show how relationships worked during that inspection period, both between adults and children and among the children themselves.

Communication has some straightforward physical supports. Each child has an individual tray for pictures and letters, which parents are expected to look through daily. A new-starter pack supports families joining the preschool. Together with the borrowing basket, these give parents regular things to bring home, read or share with their child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found highly effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including a dedicated sensory room funded to meet individual needs and cooperation with other agencies. The room matters because it offered an alternative environment for children whose needs called for it. The team includes designated safeguarding lead roles and practitioners with paediatric first-aid training.

Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch and refillable bottle; the preschool's nut-free policy also asks families to exclude sweets and chocolate. Snacks carry a separate termly charge, and the daily snack bar runs from 9:45am to 10:45am, with children practising handwashing, pouring drinks and helping themselves.

Parents supply nappies and wipes when their child uses nappies, alongside a named bag containing spare clothes. Extra changes are recommended during potty training. These are practical responsibilities to build into the daily routine, rather than items to assume will be supplied on site.

Sessions and Attendance

In March 2024, opening hours were 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The current offer is sessional preschool care, and the term calendar includes half-term and holiday breaks. Families planning care around work need to consider those breaks as well as the preschool day.

After sickness or diarrhoea, children must remain away until 48 hours have passed since the last episode. Families must report an absence before 10am; otherwise, the preschool follows its non-attendance procedure and contacts the emergency contact. That reporting requirement applies to absence for holidays and other reasons as well as illness.

Getting There

The address is Hurst Green Community Association, 4 Oak Close, Oxted, RH8 0BA. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by emailing manager@littleoakshurstgreen.co.uk. There is an address discrepancy to resolve before a visit, covered below.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2024, the preschool provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. Food arrangements combine lunches supplied by families with separately charged snacks; families also provide nappies and wipes where needed.

• Conversation and explanations. The March 2024 improvement points concerned allowing children longer to answer questions and explaining why certain behaviour has consequences. During a visit, look at how practitioners pause for replies and explain boundaries.
• Attendance and funding. Sessional care and a calendar with holiday breaks need to fit your wider childcare arrangements. Which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangement would apply to your child?
• Address discrepancy. The address is 4 Oak Close, but the contact details also give 4 Hurst Green Close under the same postcode. Confirm the entrance and address when arranging a visit.
• Packed lunches and allergies. Families prepare lunch, snacks are charged separately, and the preschool publishes a nut-free policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm how current practice accommodates their child's needs.

Little Oaks suits families seeking sessional preschool care, child-led indoor and outdoor play, and additional school preparation for older children through Acorns Class. The borrowing basket and self-service snack routine give its emphasis on independence everyday substance.

The March 2024 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark, alongside specific improvements around adult explanations and conversational patience. Families should weigh the sessional arrangement and holiday calendar carefully. For those whose childcare plans fit that model, the combination of play, community contact and preparation for school has clear appeal.