Broad Oak Pre-school

An on-site Forest School and a village hall with an all-weather garden give Broad Oak Pre-school a clear outdoor identity. Nature supplies material for learning, while baking, yoga and outings extend the day beyond the hall. This is a preschool for children from age two, with 30 places in total.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding on 1 July 2024 and judged safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement is useful: children investigated worms, made their own paint from flowers and received help from familiar adults when they needed reassurance. Those July 2024 examples connect learning with close attention to individual children.

Based at Broad Oak Village Hall on Burwash Road, the preschool operates during term time. Morning sessions and Forest School afternoons sit alongside breakfast, lunch and after-school clubs, giving families several attendance patterns to consider.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides observation, planning and assessment here: children learn through play, with adults using what they notice to plan the next steps. It is the shared early-years framework. Broad Oak adds an outdoor emphasis, cooking experiences and movement activities to that foundation.

Forest School means hands-on exploration outdoors, with activities shaped around children's interests and observed needs. Its on-site area makes this part of the preschool's own surroundings rather than an experience dependent on travelling elsewhere. Weather is part of the experience, so outdoor learning is a practical consideration for families as well as an educational one.

Cosmic Kids Yoga runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Basic poses and breathing exercises also support mindfulness during the week, giving children ways to practise calming themselves. Baking brings another kind of practical activity into the offer, including the connection between buying ingredients and using them.

In July 2024, younger children studied worms through magnifying glasses, while older children used rulers and colour boards to investigate them further. The same subject could therefore support different stages of learning. Children also mixed water with crushed flowers to create paint, connecting exploration with making marks rather than treating these as separate tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

The village hall has a large main space, a kitchen and a secure garden with an all-weather surface. Inside, low tables, small chairs, cushions and bean bags provide different places for activities; two climbing frames cater for different developmental stages. A smaller room can accommodate individual work or small groups.

Outings include Tottingworth farm and Heathfield Library, alongside the local church and shops. Shopping for cooking and snack ingredients gives children a concrete purpose for an outing. These experiences connect the preschool day with familiar places in the surrounding area, rather than keeping learning entirely within the setting.

Relationships and Communication

A key person takes the lead in a child's pastoral care, observing their interests, communication and social and emotional development. Parents can speak with the key person around sessions, and assessments take place at the end of each term. That gives communication both an everyday route and a more structured point for reviewing progress.

In July 2024, staff visited children at home before they started, using information about their existing skills and experiences to shape settling and learning. A lending library supplied books and other resources for families to use at home. Regular discussions with parents also informed what children would learn next, making family knowledge part of the planning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for additional needs follows a specific process. The SENCO brings observations together, works with the key person and family, and involves external agencies where appropriate. A Setting Based Support Plan records agreed strategies and observations, with review points to decide the next steps. The Early Years’ Service can contribute assessment, advice or funding support.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that individualised teaching supported children's progress, including children with SEND, and that close relationships helped children feel secure. Practical support included picture cards and visual timetables, which helped children express needs and understand what would happen next.

The hall is on one level, with ramps, wheelchair-friendly doorways and accessible toileting facilities. Its high ceilings are considered when supporting children with hearing impairments, and carpets are used for floor activities. These details matter because the building is a village hall adapted for preschool use.

Moving on receives practical attention too. Reception teachers visit children and their key persons, assessments are shared with families and schools, and multi-agency meetings can support transition. Children planning to attend Broad Oak Primary School receive priority for familiarisation visits in small groups with preschool staff. That priority concerns visits, not admission to the school.

Sessions and Attendance

Broad Oak Pre-school is at Broad Oak Village Hall, Burwash Road, Broad Oak, TN21 8SS. Attendance is term-time only, so families need to plan separately for school holidays.

The Morning Session starts at 9am Monday to Friday. The Afternoon Session runs Monday to Thursday from noon to 3pm and is Forest School only. Breakfast Club is listed from 8am to 9am, Lunch Club from noon to 1pm and After School Club from 3pm to 4pm, each Monday to Friday. Friday closing times need particular attention before choosing a combination of sessions.

The preschool offers visits, and its contact telephone is 01435 864 326. The range of named sessions is useful for families choosing a shorter morning or an outdoor afternoon, rather than assuming that every child must attend for a full day.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2024, the preschool received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in the preschool's written quotation, with the funded-hours arrangement and any additional charges considered together.

• Session finish times. Friday closing times conflict: the term-time opening description ends at 12.30pm, while After School Club runs Monday to Friday until 4pm. Clarify the Morning Session finish time and which Friday sessions can be booked before planning work or collection arrangements.
• Forest School frequency. The outdoor offer is central, but its frequency is described both as daily and as three days a week. Ask how often the chosen sessions include Forest School and how the outdoor afternoon differs from a morning.
• The funded booking package. The July 2024 funding position is dated. Request a current written quotation that separates funded hours, private hours, meals and snacks, non-food consumables and any activity charges before committing to a pattern.
• Support in a village hall. Ramps, accessible toilets and a smaller room support different needs, while the main hall has high ceilings. Use a visit to discuss how the space and Setting Based Support Plan would work for your child.

Broad Oak suits families seeking term-time morning sessions or Forest School afternoons, with an outdoor emphasis supported by yoga, baking and local outings. The July 2024 Outstanding judgement adds weight, while the key-person arrangements and structured support plans give parents concrete mechanisms to understand. Its adapted village-hall setting is part of its character; resolving the Friday timetable and outdoor frequency will help families choose the right attendance pattern.