Union Corner Pre-School

Bikes, balancing beams and children preparing their own snacks give Union Corner Pre-School's January 2023 picture a practical, hands-on character. Based at Union Corner Hall in Hailsham, it has capacity for 30 children. The emphasis in that dated account was on becoming more independent alongside learning to play with others.

At its 30 January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. A subsequent regulatory action in July 2023 matters alongside that judgement.

In January 2023, the children attending were aged two to four. They practised dressing for outdoor play, prepared snacks and shared bike rides by taking turns pushing one another. These were everyday opportunities to practise doing things independently and cooperating with friends.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, including learning through play. In January 2023, books, songs and conversation supported language, while counting snack portions brought mathematics into familiar routines. A puzzle involving matching keys to a door gave children a reason to persist with a problem.

Physical play included cycling and balancing on beams. Pretend medical play also opened up conversations about feelings. However, in January 2023, some practitioners missed opportunities to develop children's ideas during freely chosen play, leaving learning less purposeful at those moments.

In January 2023, children formed affectionate relationships with their key person and received encouragement as they tried new things. Development was monitored, with individual support plans used where children needed additional help. Parents' evenings and feedback gave families information about learning and ideas to use at home.

Children brought healthy lunches from home in January 2023 and ate healthy snacks. The weakness was educational: staff did not consistently use meals and snacks to explain how food choices affect health.

On 20 July 2023, Ofsted found failures to notify significant events, recorded safeguarding policy revisions and staff refresher training, and stated that information for committee suitability checks would be provided before reopening in September 2023. This is a later safeguarding-related action, separate from the January judgement; the promised submission should not be read as a completed check.

The address is Union Corner Hall, Hawks Road, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1ND. The community-hall setting operated during school terms in January 2023, making that historical attendance model relevant to families planning around school holidays.

At that time, the preschool received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position rather than a promise of a funded place today.

• Later safeguarding action. The 20 July 2023 action concerned notification failures and safeguarding procedures, with committee suitability information still described as a future submission. Families should weigh this later action alongside the January 2023 grade.
• Consistency of learning. January 2023 improvement priorities covered staff support during play and teaching about healthy choices. These matter because routine play and snack times can become learning opportunities, rather than simply activities to complete.
• Attendance planning. The January 2023 model was term-time provision in a community hall. At a visit, what attendance pattern and holiday arrangements would apply to your child now?

Union Corner Pre-School suits families who value practical independence and sociable play: its January 2023 examples make those priorities tangible. The historical term-time model also makes it relevant to families organising care around school terms. The balance is clear: a Good January 2023 judgement, two specific learning priorities and a later safeguarding-related regulatory action all belong in the decision.