Monkton Under Fives

Twelve places, a village charity and parents making up at least 60% of its trustees: Monkton Under Fives has a small scale and a direct role for families in how it is governed. Based at Monkton Men's Institute in Ramsgate, it takes children aged two to five. The capacity is for the setting as a whole, rather than a separate room or age group.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement gives parents more to work with than the grade alone: children chose their play, used the garden for physical activity and practised everyday independence. Those observations belong to March 2023. Today's attendance offer centres on morning and afternoon sessions during term time, with a lunch session also offered.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS sets the framework for children's learning and care, covering language, physical development, relationships, early literacy and mathematics alongside creative exploration and understanding the world. Here, a key person records learning through photographs or videos and uses observations to assess progress. This connects the broad framework to the individual child, rather than treating preparation for school as a separate course.

In March 2023, learning began with information gathered about each child, then developed through play and ongoing observation. Books were accessible for children to choose, with shared reading taking place individually and in small groups. A book received sustained attention across a term, giving children repeated opportunities to encounter its language and ideas. That is a useful distinction from simply moving rapidly through new stories.

During that same month, older children worked out roles together in imaginative play, while taking a turn at show and tell gave children opportunities to speak to their friends. Mathematics appeared through construction: large blocks prompted work with patterns, quantities and length. Chalk marks outdoors and pencil work brought early writing into practical activity. These were concrete routes into learning, rather than a day built solely around adult-led tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2023, the garden accommodated children who preferred outdoor learning. Bikes, equipment for climbing and balance beams gave them different ways to practise movement and coordination. The physical space mattered educationally as well as providing somewhere to play.

The charity's community connections also have a practical purpose. Through the Co-op Community Fund, it has been accepted as a local cause that members can support through their purchases; the Give as you Live scheme provides another fundraising route through online shopping. These schemes support the setting financially. They are fundraising arrangements, rather than children's learning programmes.

Relationships and Communication

Settling can move at the pace of both child and parent. Parents are encouraged to remain during the settling period, so the move into nursery need not be treated as a single abrupt handover. The key person gives each child a particular member of staff to build a relationship with, while concerns about health, play or other aspects of development are raised with parents promptly.

In March 2023, families received feedback each day and could come in to discuss learning. Children also practised manageable acts of independence, including getting their coats on, pouring drinks and clearing away after snacks. These small tasks give parents a concrete picture of the habits being developed alongside play.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager holds the designated safeguarding lead role, and the team includes practitioners with paediatric first-aid training. Staff attend courses to update their knowledge and reflect on practice. These are arrangements and professional development opportunities, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified two areas for improvement: more consistent support for listening and taking turns, and stronger coordination with other settings children attended. The distinction matters. Confident speaking does not automatically mean attentive listening, and good communication with parents does not by itself ensure learning is coordinated across two providers.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Monkton Men's Institute, 122 Monkton Street, Monkton, Ramsgate, CT12 4JQ. Opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Families needing care through school holidays will need a different attendance arrangement for those periods.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon. For universal funded and payable sessions, the afternoon runs from 12.30pm to 3.30pm; the working-parent entitlement uses an afternoon pattern of noon to 3pm, with the final half-hour charged separately. Lunch attendance is offered from noon to 12.30pm, including for children taking either a morning or an afternoon session. These differences matter when matching a funded pattern to a collection time.

An enquiry form takes the child's age and the family's required weekly hours. Booking is required. Invoices are issued before each term, with payment due within 14 days of the invoice date; leaving or reducing sessions requires written notice of one calendar month. Those terms make changes to a working pattern something to plan ahead for.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered term-time, including Free 15 Universal Early Education Sessions, the 30 hours Working Parent entitlement and FF2 support for eligible two-year-olds. Additional sessions beyond the universal funded allowance are payable unless covered by the working-parent funding. Eligibility conditions apply, so the entitlement and the chosen attendance pattern need to be considered together.

Snacks are included in session fees, while lunch is charged separately; the nursery publishes a strict nut-free policy. A non-refundable deposit is requested when registering, and parents using funding must sign a declaration of their attendance hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the fees page setting out the payment and session structure.

• Two afternoon patterns. Universal and payable afternoon sessions finish at 3.30pm, while the working-parent funded afternoon ends at 3pm. Discuss which pattern fits your collection arrangements and how the later half-hour would be charged.
• Listening and shared learning. The March 2023 improvement points concerned listening, turn-taking and coordination with other providers. A visit is an opportunity to ask how these are now supported, especially if your child attends another setting.
• Food and personal supplies. Snacks are included, lunch costs extra and a strict nut-free policy applies. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice, and ask which personal consumables they need to bring or pay for.

Monkton Under Fives suits families looking for a small village setting with parent involvement in its governance and a gradual approach to settling. Its term-time morning and afternoon patterns serve different schedules, rather than assuming every child needs the same length of day. The March 2023 picture adds useful detail about books, construction, outdoor movement and independence. Families should weigh that dated account alongside the specific improvement points and the practical differences between funded session patterns.