Little Roo's Pre-School 2

Wooden resources that children can turn into the objects of their imagination give Little Roo's Pre-School 2 its character. Within the annex of the United Reform Church on Bradleigh Avenue in Grays, its Curiosity approach lets children lead their play, with adults observing and asking questions to develop their ideas.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 9 June 2022. That judgement belongs to an earlier stage of the nursery's life, when the children attending were aged two to five. There are 50 places in total; that is the whole nursery's capacity, rather than the size of an individual group.

Natural materials and children's interests shape the learning approach, with wooden resources used for imaginative play rather than prescribing a single purpose. Relationships receive equally concrete attention through settling sessions and meetings with the child's key person. Morning, afternoon and two different day-length options make this a nursery with several attendance patterns.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and care: here, children's next steps inform activities and children build skills through play and social interaction. Alongside it, R.E.S.P.E.C.T names the nursery's values: responsibility, empathy, safety, positivity, encouragement, curiosity and trust.

The Curiosity approach uses natural resources and adult responses to children's interests. A wooden object can take on different meanings in a child's game; staff observe that play and use questions to extend it. This gives imagination room to develop while keeping an adult involved in the learning, rather than simply leaving children to entertain themselves.

In June 2022, children could choose between garden play and indoor activities using natural materials, including flowers. Outdoors, they helped organise a balancing-beam activity and took turns using it. Older children worked with sounds, letters and simple blending, while younger children joined an activity identifying bird calls. These are useful examples of how physical play, listening and early literacy sat together at that time.

The Care Package adds Yoga, cookery classes, a Phonics Programme and a Maths Programme. It also includes an end-of-year picnic celebration, with a zoo trip and Graduation for Wallabies. These additions belong to the separately charged package, so they are part of the cost decision as well as the nursery experience.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with the parent and child together. The parent shares information with a senior member of staff while the child plays with their prospective key person, followed by a period apart. Further settling sessions can be discussed according to the child's needs. The child has time to play with their prospective key person before the parent leaves, giving the relationship a place in the settling process.

Parent communication has a recurring calendar. An August open session introduces new families to the senior team and offers menu tasting; settling sessions are arranged around September, January and April starts. Meetings in October or November cover progress with the key person, with a Teams call possible when more time is needed. A July transition meeting reviews the child's year and introduces a new key person where the child is staying at Little Roo's.

In June 2022, nursery software carried assessments and next steps to parents, alongside consultations with key people. Strong child–key person attachments were also evident at that time. The current meeting structure provides specific opportunities to discuss development and room changes, rather than relying entirely on brief day-to-day conversations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support begins with the key person assessing progress once a child has settled. If milestones raise concerns, parents are invited to discuss them and agree a plan; with parental permission, Thurrock's Area SENCO can visit to advise the key person. Outside agencies are also involved where needed. This gives families a defined sequence from an initial concern to additional advice.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that vulnerable children received stable support. In June 2022, daily risk assessments were part of practice, and children had a sensory area and a quiet space where they could pause and settle their emotions. These describe the arrangements at that visit, rather than an assurance about every aspect of care today.

Food comes from an external supplier, and the nursery applies an allergy policy while taking family preferences into account. Meal inclusions and other charges depend on the attendance pattern and Care Package.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is United Reform Church, 31 Bradleigh Avenue, Grays, RM17 5XD. Opening hours are 7am to 7pm on weekdays, across 50 weeks of the year. Applications can be completed online or using a downloaded form.

Five booking options give families a choice between different lengths and parts of the day:

• Full day flexibility: 7am to 7pm.
• Morning sessions: 7am to 1pm.
• Mid-morning option: 8.30am to 1pm.
• Full day coverage: 8.30am to 4pm.
• Afternoon sessions: 1pm to 7pm.

The shorter morning option starts later, while the afternoon pattern suits a different part of the day altogether. The two day-length options also have different start and finish times. Those distinctions matter when matching childcare to a working pattern; the nursery's opening window alone would not explain them.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both private and funded sessions are offered. Funding is accepted from nine months to five years, including two-year-old funding, three- and four-year-old funding and the 30-hour entitlement. The 15 Hours Funding and 30 Hours Funding arrangements spread term-time entitlement across up to 50 weeks. Families are responsible for requesting additional sessions to use banked funded minutes, which can be booked in July–August.

The Care Package is charged separately and covers refreshments and snacks, nappies, creams and wipes, plus a water bottle and a bag for spare clothes. Families can supply their own personal-care products if their child is sensitive to the nursery's brand. Hot lunch is charged separately, breakfast is included with the sessions starting at 7am, and tea is included with the 7am-to-7pm day; children receiving EYPP receive a funded hot meal. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Children aged two and above must have a uniform top. Spare clothes and wellies are also required. These are useful details for preparing clothing for the nursery week.

• Language development. In June 2022, opportunities to extend vocabulary were missed during some younger children's group activities and mealtimes. Ask how staff now build conversation into these parts of the day, rather than only into planned language activities.
• Curriculum delivery. The June 2022 improvement priorities also concerned newer staff and those in training understanding how children learn. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how staff turn children's interests into an appropriate next step.
• Tea charges. The afternoon-session package includes tea, while the general meal terms require children attending after 4pm to purchase it and expressly exempt the 7am-to-7pm day. Confirm the tea charge for the particular afternoon pattern before agreeing the total cost.
• Changing key person. The July transition meeting can introduce a new key person for children staying at Little Roo's. Ask how that handover would work for a child who needs longer to feel comfortable with a change.

Little Roo's Pre-School 2 suits families looking for child-led play with natural materials and a planned calendar of settling and parent meetings. It also serves genuinely different attendance needs: morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside an 8.30am-to-4pm day and a 7am-to-7pm option. The choice is broader than a single long opening window.

Wooden play resources, flexible settling sessions and planned parent meetings make the offer tangible. The Good judgement dates from June 2022, with improvement priorities concerning language development and staff understanding of children's learning. The Care Package and meal structure are also part of the cost of the chosen session.