Rainbows End Pre School

Tree climbing, cake selling and a bear that goes home with children give Rainbows End Pre School its character. This charity-run, committee-led setting operates from Ewhurst Village Hall, with a secure Forest School garden for practical, child-led outdoor learning. Its community identity extends beyond the hall: regular visits include Cranleigh Library and The Old Rectory Care Home.

At its 1 February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding, highlighting carefully planned teaching, exceptional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and effective safeguarding. The detail beneath that judgement matters: activities were planned around children's next learning steps, rather than simply keeping them occupied.

There are 34 places in total, and the current age offer is 18 months to 4 years. Attendance is term-time, with morning, morning-plus-lunch and all-day options; a longer day is planned conditionally for spring 2027.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the learning: children build communication, physical and social skills through play and planned activities, with learning tailored to their development. It is the shared early-years framework. Forest School adds hands-on exploration in a secure garden, where children choose activities, tackle practical problems and learn to care for the natural world.

Baker's Child gives children a turn at being Star Baker, dressing for the role and selling cakes to other children, with proceeds supporting the preschool's wish lists. This adds responsibility to the activity: children take on a role and help raise money for their setting. An in-house lending library lets them select a book to share at home, carrying their own choices into family reading.

Rainbow Bear makes that home connection more playful. The resident bear occasionally stays with a family for a few days, and children share its adventures afterwards. It gives them something personal to talk about with their friends, rather than relying only on adult-led conversation.

In February 2024, baking involved taking turns with ingredients and exploring weighing and food choices. Children also prepared carrots and apricots, using knives with close adult supervision and discussing safe handling. These were practical tasks with a learning purpose: using their hands precisely, remembering instructions and considering other people while working together.

Outdoor and Community Life

Regular Forest School sessions include making dens and tools, climbing trees, working with fire and playing team games. Children practise making decisions and taking precautions. Sessions run in all seasons and weather conditions; families supply suitable clothing, while puddle suits, Forest School, trips and additional activities carry no extra charge.

Community visits include Cranleigh Library, The Old Rectory Care Home, St Peter & St Paul's Church and Ewhurst School, extending children's experiences beyond the hall. These visits confer no school place. Returning visitor ZooLabs has brought a tree frog, snail and corn snake for children to learn about.

In February 2024, insect searches and discussions about outdoor experiences connected exploration with listening and turn-taking.

Relationships and Communication

A home visit and settling session introduce each child to staff before starting. An allocated key person then supports their development and individual needs, giving families a clear contact for learning and care.

Tapestry, an online communication tool, gives parents insight into sessions. Termly developmental updates, key-person meetings and daily opportunities to speak with staff connect those updates with conversation.

Newsletters, committee coffee mornings and termly parent information evenings keep families involved. Stay and Play sessions invite new families to join activities with their children and meet their friends.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staffing structure includes a designated safeguarding lead, a deputy safeguarding lead and SEND responsibilities. Practitioners undertake paediatric first-aid and safeguarding training, and the team includes staff experienced in supporting additional needs. These are arrangements and skills families can discuss in relation to their own child; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection.

In February 2024, Ofsted found that SEND support brought staff, families and other professionals together to identify learning needs early and pursue training, funding or referrals promptly. This gives the support judgement practical meaning: the response involved identifying needs and coordinating help, rather than waiting for difficulties to become more established.

During February 2024 sessions, staff used signs to help children express feelings, including alongside an emotions board. Children also practised breathing and listening to natural sounds during mindful pauses. These examples show how communication and emotional awareness were woven into activities at that time.

Food is cooked on site, with hot lunches, pudding and rotating menus that change each term. The preschool works with parents on dietary needs, including intolerances and allergies; families affected by these should discuss current arrangements during their visit.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates for 37 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday during term time. The September 2026 session pattern is specific: mornings run from 9.15am to 12.30pm on every weekday. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, families can instead choose a morning with lunch ending at 1.30pm, or an all-day session ending at 2.45pm, both starting at 9.15am.

Wednesday and Friday offer the morning option only. For a family planning a working week, that difference matters as much as the choice on the longer days. The 2026/27 timetable places the proposed extended session, 9.15am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, in spring 2027 and makes it dependent on numbers. It should therefore be treated as a conditional future option when planning care.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and a visit must take place before the reservation form is completed. After the form and payment stage, arrangements follow for a home visit, settling session and start date. The waiting list follows admissions criteria rather than the length of time a child's name has been on it, with local catchment priority when the setting is full.

Getting There

The address is Ewhurst Village Hall, The Street, Ewhurst, Surrey, GU6 7PX. Free parking is available in the village car park opposite the hall.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time, including 15-hour and 30-hour funding, Working Parents Funding and Early Learning for 2 year olds; the preschool also accepts EYPP-funded children. Private hours are charged separately, and a session set fee covers the additional part-hour beyond the funded whole hours. Funding codes must be in place before the first settling session, so completing the funding process is part of preparing to start.

Meals are charged separately: hot lunch and, for an extended day, light tea are added to the termly invoice. A voluntary daily charge covers morning snack and materials such as wipes and tissues, including for funded attendance; parents also supply nappies, wipes and suncream, with a charge if the preschool's spare nappies are used.

The admissions and funding terms explain the charge structure. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their chosen sessions, funded hours and extras, so the overall arrangement is clear before committing.

• The longer-day plan. Wednesday and Friday end at 12.30pm, and extended sessions are conditional from spring 2027. At a visit, discuss which of the 2026/27 patterns fits the care you need.
• Funding and additional charges. Funded whole hours sit alongside a session set fee, separate meal charges and a voluntary snack-and-materials charge. Request a written quotation showing how these apply to your child's funding and sessions.
• Outdoor preparation. Forest School continues in different weather conditions. Puddle suits are supplied, but suitable clothing is required; discuss what your child needs for comfortable participation.
• Joining payments and settling. A visit precedes the reservation form, and the joining terms use both registration-fee and deposit wording. Clarify the payment terms alongside the home visit and settling arrangements, especially if your child has allergies or additional support needs.

Rainbows End suits families seeking term-time morning attendance as well as those wanting mornings with lunch or all-day sessions on selected weekdays. Forest School, Baker's Child and regular community visits give the experience substance, while key-person contact and termly developmental updates keep families connected to it.

The Outstanding judgement from February 2024 provides a strong inspection foundation. The practical choice rests on the timetable and charge structure: shorter days remain part of the week, and the proposed extended option is conditional.