Fobbing Village Pre-school

Ice-cream vendors and a doctor's surgery gave play a practical purpose at Fobbing Village Pre-school in June 2024: children explored counting, money, mark-making and unfamiliar vocabulary through imagined roles. This is the clearest picture of its character, with children's interests shaping what happened next.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Outstanding at its 6 June 2024 inspection. Based at Gardner Hall in Fobbing, it has 24 places in total; children attending in June 2024 were aged two to four.

In June 2024, the curriculum followed children's experiences and interests. The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play connected language, early mathematics and opportunities to make marks. An adult participating in ice-cream play introduced counting and money, while the doctor's surgery encouraged children to try medical vocabulary and mark-making.

The role-play area changed to reflect experiences familiar to the children, giving them somewhere to explore thoughts and feelings. Practitioners also recognised repeated patterns in play and adapted the environment after training. Children's choices helped determine how they spent their time, rather than every activity following an adult's direction.

Two named practices made encouragement concrete. Wow moments recognised achievements that children could share with others. Emotional buckets linked kindness to the idea of filling someone's bucket, making an abstract feeling easier to discuss. Stories also provided a starting point for conversations about emotions.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and assessed children's progress, including that of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as excellent. The practical support behind that judgement matters: staff gathered information before children started, tracked development and introduced individual strategies when gaps emerged.

In June 2024, home visits helped practitioners understand family life and begin building relationships before attendance. Other professionals contributed when needed. Verbal handovers and meetings allowed parents and practitioners to exchange information, and families received activities to extend learning at home.

Encouragement sat alongside opportunities for independence. Practitioners allowed children time to attempt things themselves, while age-appropriate strategies helped them manage feelings and behaviour. The team also reviewed its decisions with children's differing ages and needs in mind.

Gardner Hall is on Wharf Road, Fobbing, SS17 9JP. The pre-school has 24 places in total.

In June 2024, opening hours were 8.30am to 2.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday. Operation was term-time only.

At that time, the pre-school received funding for free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. These hours and funding arrangements describe its June 2024 operation.

• The shorter Tuesday. June 2024 hours ended at 12.30pm on Tuesday, earlier than on the other weekdays. What are the current attendance arrangements and funded-hour terms?
• Support before starting. Home visits formed part of the June 2024 approach. Families who value an early exchange about their child's experiences have a concrete example of how relationships began.

Fobbing Village Pre-school suits families who value learning through imaginative play and close communication about their child's development. Its June 2024 practice combined children's choices with purposeful adult contributions, from counting during ice-cream play to individual support following developmental checks. The term-time timetable and shorter Tuesday are practical considerations alongside that dated Outstanding judgement.