St Matthew's High Brooms Pre-school CIO

In May 2025, cooperative play shaped this High Brooms pre-school's day: children built towers together, negotiated turns and showed patience towards younger children. At its May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and judged safeguarding effective.

St Matthew's High Brooms Pre-school CIO has 40 places in total. In May 2025, the children attending were aged two to four. At that inspection, growing independence went alongside careful adult attention: children chose outdoor clothing and staff used follow-up questions to help children explain their ideas.

In May 2025, learning followed the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play, conversation and movement putting it into practice. Staff drew on children's home experiences to extend their learning. Discussions about favourite stories gave children practice in listening to other viewpoints, while follow-up questions encouraged them to explain their ideas more fully.

Outdoor water play brought obvious enjoyment. Children considered how the weather felt before deciding what to wear, making a practical choice for themselves. Movement sessions also connected exercise with understanding the body: children felt their heartbeat and practised slower breathing afterwards. Additional funding supported sports coaching that developed attention and listening alongside physical skills.

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good developmental progress and that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities was highly effective. Staff considered the surroundings from each child's perspective to understand individual needs.

In May 2025, the key-person system helped staff recognise when a child needed gentle guidance and respond promptly. Older children showed consideration towards younger ones. Regular meetings gave parents opportunities to discuss development with staff, making communication more substantial than a brief exchange.

Staff described supportive leadership and discussed training together. Personal-care arrangements needed attention, however: the positioning of nappy-changing equipment did not adequately support the teaching of privacy. This was a specific environmental improvement, rather than a criticism of staff's understanding of its importance.

The address is St. Matthews Church Hall, High Brooms Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9DA.

In May 2025, opening hours were 8.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The setting received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. These are dated operating details, useful for understanding the sessional character of the provision at that time.

• Privacy during care. The May 2025 improvement concerned the placement of nappy-changing equipment. On a visit, ask how the layout now protects children's privacy.
• Term-time routine. In May 2025, provision followed school terms and finished at 3pm. Would the current attendance arrangements fit your family's weekly routine and holiday needs?

The May 2025 picture suits families looking for cooperative play, conversational learning and opportunities for children to become more independent. Children had opportunities to make choices, listen to each other and understand their bodies through movement. The personal-care layout remains the specific point to explore when considering this pre-school.