Playmates Pre-school

The Log Cabin gives Playmates Pre-school a recognisable home within the grounds of Whitelands Park School in Thatcham. Parent involvement is part of its structure: this charity is managed by an elected parent committee, so families can contribute to how the setting runs as well as to their own child's learning.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Playmates Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children made good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those learning English as an additional language. That is a dated assessment. The practical character of the current offer is play-led learning, a personal key person and care for children from two until school age, with capacity for 70 children in total.

Morning and afternoon sessions run during term time, with children able to combine them into a full day from age three.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop language, movement and relationships through play, alongside early reading, number work and creative experiences. Playmates places particular emphasis on those first three areas. Its curriculum planning starts with children's existing abilities and interests, rather than treating every child as ready for the same next step.

Construction includes Mobilo, Duplo and Lego; imaginative play uses a dolls' house, vehicles and a train set. Painting, playdough and cornflour give children different materials to explore. These are practical choices with different demands: building calls for decisions about shape and fit, while pretend play gives children reasons to talk and share ideas.

Children choose activities themselves and also join groups led by adults. The balance matters. They can pursue an interest, then practise listening and working alongside others. Staff observations help shape what comes next, and learning is documented through observations, photographs or video rather than relying only on a finished piece of work.

In May 2023, communication shaped the layout as well as the activities. An outdoor reading area drew children towards books, while miniature-world play encouraged conversation and imagination. Children also talked together while constructing a tower in the soft-play area. These examples show how language practice was woven into shared play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Bikes, scooters, sand, balancing activities and parachute play form part of the outdoor offer. Both adult-led and child-chosen activities take place outside, giving children opportunities to move as well as explore. The day also accommodates quieter activities and rest when individual children need them.

In May 2023, the outdoor space included a slide, ride-on cars and a hill used for running. Daily physical activity gave children opportunities to practise coordination and build stamina. Those details belong to that visit, rather than describing a current equipment inventory.

Parents can bring their own interests into sessions. Past contributions include guitar playing and showing children a pet rabbit. This gives family participation a practical shape: adults contribute experiences that children can discuss and investigate, as well as helping with equipment and activities.

Relationships and Communication

A key person works with each family on the child's interests, needs and settling. Staff and parents agree how to support the first days together. The key person provides a clear contact for discussing the child's needs and interests.

Learning Journeys are individual records built jointly by the key person and parents, bringing together interests, activities, needs and achievements to plan the next steps. Contributions from home are part of the assessment process. Summaries are made periodically and at transitions, including the move to school, so the record connects everyday experiences with longer-term development.

Parent participation extends beyond these conversations. Families can help during sessions, contribute skills and take part in management where appropriate. The committee appoints the manager and staff. Practitioners also undertake further training, giving professional development a place alongside the setting's voluntary management structure.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Children with additional needs and those eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium receive specific monitoring within curriculum assessment. The mechanism is observation and review of progress; this is more useful to understand than a broad promise that every need will be met.

In May 2023, children registered themselves and washed their hands before meals, but adults sometimes completed tasks children could manage. Staff did not consistently encourage children to try wiping their own noses. More opportunities for independent self-care were the improvement priority. Current clothing guidance encourages children to manage toileting and outdoor clothes themselves, with easy-to-handle garments supporting that aim.

Parents supply a packed lunch when their child stays through lunchtime; morning snacks are provided, and the pre-school has a published nut-free policy. Lunch therefore needs planning at home, alongside any dietary requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

Playmates operates Monday to Friday, with morning sessions from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. From age three, children can book both sessions together as a full day. That age condition matters for families choosing the length of attendance for a younger child.

The year comprises 38 weeks, with closure during West Berkshire school holidays. It is a term-time arrangement, so families needing care during those breaks must account for them in their plans. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email through the contact page.

Getting There

The address is The Log Cabin, Whitelands Park, Sagecroft Road, Thatcham, RG18 3FH, within the grounds of Whitelands Park School. Sharing the school site does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Playmates supports children moving to different primary schools, with assessment summaries prepared at transition. School preparation is therefore part of the learning and communication work, rather than an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Playmates accepts two-year funding, Universal provision and Extended hour provision, delivered through its term-time sessions. The entitlements described are funded childcare for two-year-olds and Universal or Extended provision for three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility depends on the entitlement and family circumstances; participation should not be read as a promise of a particular booking pattern.

Self-funded sessions and Tax free childcare are accepted for two-year-olds who are not yet receiving Universal funding; additional funded sessions are not offered to three-year-olds entitled only to Universal funding. These conditions make the child's age and funding category central to the booking decision. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the fees and funding information setting out the attendance structure.

• Session length and holidays. Two-year-olds attend separate sessions, while combined full days start from three; closure follows West Berkshire school holidays. At a visit, discuss how the settling plan would work within the pattern you intend to book.
• Independence in practice. In May 2023, adults sometimes took over tasks children could attempt themselves. Ask how practitioners now support self-care, including toileting and managing outdoor clothes.
• Lunch and additional costs. Families bring lunch, and the pre-school has a nut-free policy. Ask how current allergy arrangements work and whether snacks or non-food consumables attract separate charges for your funded or paid pattern.
• Parent participation. An elected parent committee runs the charity, and families can help with sessions and equipment. Discuss what involvement would fit your time and skills.

Playmates suits families seeking a morning or afternoon preschool session, as well as those wanting a combined full day for a child aged three or over. The term-time calendar is a substantial part of that fit.

Its character comes from parent participation, play materials that invite construction and imagination, and a key-person relationship supported by Learning Journeys. The May 2023 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark, with independent self-care the clear improvement point. For families comfortable with packed lunches and school-holiday closures, this is a practical preschool option with an active role for parents.