SKIPS Pre-School

Woodland, everyday objects and a garden pond give SKIPS Pre-School its character. At The Old Guide Hut in Ightham, children can explore natural materials rather than spend their day surrounded by conventional toys. Its own woodland and access to Oldbury Woods make outdoor learning a concrete part of the offer.

SKIPS caters for children aged two to five and has capacity for 28 children. At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and judged safeguarding effective. That assessment provides a useful quality marker, alongside two specific priorities: helping younger children stay involved in larger groups and broadening children's understanding of communities beyond their own.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and all-day options. The strongest reason to consider SKIPS is its combination of child-directed play and substantial opportunities to explore outdoors.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning through areas including language, physical development, relationships, mathematics and creative expression. These areas guide activities and children's development; they are the shared foundation of early-years education, rather than an extra offered by SKIPS.

Planning in the Moment adds a specific way of organising the day. Children choose their activity, materials and whether to play indoors or outside, while practitioners respond with resources and conversation that extend what interests them. This gives children's choices practical weight: an absorbing activity can continue rather than being interrupted simply to move everyone on.

SKIPS is working towards Curiosity Approach accreditation, using everyday objects in place of plastic toys and technology to encourage exploration. Accreditation is a work in progress. The tangible feature for families is the use of real objects, loose materials and seasonal nature, giving children things they can handle, combine and investigate in different ways.

In April 2022, children used found sticks and feathers to make play objects, and retold stories with puppets and other props. These examples connect imaginative play with language: children could make something of their own and then explain or develop an idea around it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School is a child-led approach that uses nature to develop independence and an understanding of manageable risk. Dedicated sessions at SKIPS involve exploring woodland, making dens, using simple tools and learning about seasonal changes. These sessions carry an additional charge, so families can distinguish the everyday outdoor offer from this extra.

The garden provides water, sand, pebbles and natural materials for play, alongside a small pond. Children help tend flowers and vegetables each year, giving them a continuing activity with changes to notice over time. Outdoor play continues in different weather conditions, with strong winds the stated exception.

Outings include Oldbury Woods, the park and nearby farmland, where children can see horses and pigs; strawberry picking also features. These are concrete experiences beyond the pre-school grounds, although no fixed frequency is attached to them. In April 2022, children watched tadpoles develop and practised physical skills through tree climbing and rope swings.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is agreed with parents, and two introductory sessions are free. That creates room to choose an approach around the child rather than imposing one method on every family. A key person is the main contact for discussions about progress and records children's achievements.

Famly, the electronic learning journal, gives parents a way to contribute as well as receive updates. This matters because experiences at home can inform the conversation about development, rather than communication flowing only from practitioners to parents.

In April 2022, staff exchanged information about children's learning with other settings they attended. Parents also received suggestions for games to support communication and social development at home. Those were inspection-time practices, useful examples of how communication could connect different parts of a child's week.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A dedicated special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinator provides a named support role within the team. Staff have safeguarding and paediatric first-aid training, and there is a designated safeguarding lead. These are arrangements for care and protection, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that training about autism and sensory processing helped staff support children with SEND. For families whose child needs additional support, the relevant starting point is the co-ordinator role and a discussion of the child's individual needs.

Hot lunches come from Nourish Contract Catering, prepared in Ightham School Kitchens, with menus changing seasonally; they are charged separately, and families can instead send a packed lunch. In April 2022, children also made smoothies and vegetable soup and discussed caring for their teeth, linking practical activities with everyday health habits.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old Guide Hut, Oldbury Lane, Ightham, Sevenoaks, TN15 9DE. SKIPS opens on weekdays during term time, for 38 weeks each year, from 8.45am to 3pm.

Morning bookings run from 8.45am until noon, afternoon bookings from noon until 3pm, and an all-day booking covers 8.45am to 3pm. Children must attend at least two sessions/days each week. This is a regular attendance model, with a choice between shorter sessions and the complete daily opening window.

The waiting list operates on a first come served basis. Registration packs and prospectuses can be sent by post or email, with enquiries handled by telephone or email. The published minimum attendance rule is worth building into family plans before choosing a pattern.

Getting There

Access is via the Recreation Ground path behind the premises, and parking is provided. SKIPS sits beside Ightham Primary School and works with surrounding schools on children's transition.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions are offered for three- and four-year-olds and for eligible two-year-olds. Attendance is term-time. The universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds is 15 hours each week across 38 weeks, while Kent's Free for 2 scheme supports qualifying two-year-olds.

Private childcare is also offered, with rates depending on age and funding. Families obtain current prices through a written quotation. The fees and funding information identifies Forest School, Yoga, Musical Bumps and Playball as additional classes carrying charges, alongside hot lunches; uniform is optional and also chargeable.

• Younger children in group activities. In April 2022, practitioners did not always adjust their positions when younger children disengaged from larger groups. At a visit, ask how group activities are now organised for the youngest children.
• Understanding the wider world. The April 2022 improvement priority included learning about people beyond children's immediate communities. Ask for examples of how current activities introduce different lives and celebrations.
• Term-time routines. Opening ends at 3pm and attendance covers 38 weeks, with a minimum of two sessions/days each week. Families need arrangements that fit those boundaries.
• The complete cost. Additional classes and hot lunches carry charges, while a packed lunch is an alternative. Ask how funded sessions, chosen extras and non-food consumables fit together in the written quotation.

SKIPS suits families choosing morning or afternoon pre-school sessions, as well as those wanting an all-day term-time pattern. Its strongest practical appeal is the combination of children's choices, real materials and access to woodland, with a garden that supports continuing exploration close to the setting.

The April 2022 Good judgement sits alongside clear improvement priorities rather than an unqualified endorsement. Families should weigh how younger children participate in group activities and how the wider world is introduced, while deciding whether the attendance pattern and separately charged classes fit their needs.