St Paul's Pre-School

A church hall, a grass meadow and a parent-run charity give St Paul's Pre-School its character. Play spreads across a shared indoor space and outdoor areas, with families able to contribute through volunteering, fundraising and the committee. This is a community preschool with practical ways for parents to take part.

At its January 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged inclusion to be at Strong standard, the other assessed areas at Expected standard, and safeguarding standards met. The important qualifications concern consistency in delivering the curriculum and children's privacy during toileting. Both deserve attention alongside the positive inclusion judgement.

St Paul's has 28 places in total and accepts children from two years old following its September 2026 admission-age change, continuing until they start school. Children must have turned two by 31 August in their starting year. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit within a term-time timetable. Its appeal rests on outdoor play, shared activities and an allocated key person.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play, covering communication, physical development, relationships and the foundations of literacy, mathematics and understanding the world. Child-chosen play and activities led by adults both have a place. That gives children opportunities to pursue an interest while also encountering experiences planned to extend it.

The hall has a library area and home corner, alongside musical instruments, craft tables and dressing-up materials. A table supports maths and literacy activities; singing and cooking also feature in the day. Children can move between imaginative play, making things and exploring books, rather than having the whole session organised around one activity.

Morning indoor and outdoor play includes access to snacks, followed by tidying, songs and stories. Packed lunches precede afternoon activities, giving children a predictable rhythm alongside their own choices.

In January 2026, children explored ingredients and texture while making flatbread, and pictures and simple signing helped children learning English as an additional language. These examples show how an everyday activity can create opportunities for conversation and mathematical exploration. The curriculum nevertheless needed more consistent implementation: some staff did not fully understand its intentions, limiting how far they extended children's learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

A courtyard provides a mud kitchen, water play and a large sandpit, with a play house and wheeled toys adding different ways to play. The grass meadow offers room to run, grow vegetables and plants, and explore nature. These spaces give messy exploration and movement a substantial place in the preschool day.

Children can choose indoor or outdoor play throughout the year, including in different weather conditions. Families supply waterproof clothing and wellies, so outdoor participation is a practical part of preparing for a session. Slides and small climbing equipment add further opportunities to practise movement and coordination.

Parents can volunteer occasionally or regularly, join the committee, or support the Easter Fair and Summer Fair fundraisers. These offer ways to meet families and help run a charity that depends on family support.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person supports settling, observes play and keeps development records that parents can contribute to. This is the first contact for discussing interests, difficulties or changes at home.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, carries observations and achievements for families to view privately. Parents can add their own contributions, connecting what a child does at home with what staff see during sessions. Brief conversations are possible at the beginning and end of the day, while a longer discussion can be arranged separately.

A SENCO and learning support assistants provide routes for discussing individual needs. The team also includes a safeguarding lead; staff train regularly and key workers handle individual assessments.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified individual needs promptly, adapted activities and routines, worked with families and outside professionals, and used additional funding to support children facing barriers to learning. This is the detail behind the stronger inclusion judgement. It gives families a more useful picture than the judgement label alone.

In January 2026, staff used a dark tent for children needing a quiet pause and an egg timer to explain turn-taking. Both helped adapt the day to children's needs.

Current support mechanisms include information for families about the Disability Access Fund, which may help eligible children receiving Disability Living Allowance through equipment, accessibility changes and other adjustments. Early Years Pupil Premium may support eligible three- and four-year-olds through resources, targeted group activities and staff training. Neither is an automatic entitlement for every child.

Toileting requires closer scrutiny. In January 2026, its organisation did not consistently protect children's privacy, and leaders had recognised the problem without reaching a solution. For children still using nappies, families supply nappies, bags and wipes and take used nappies home after each session. That is a significant practical consideration for the younger intake.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool operates at St Paul's Church Hall, St Paul's Hill, Winchester, SO22 5AB, on a pack-away basis.

Term-time sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, or full days from 9am to 3pm. Children must attend at least two sessions each week. The choice accommodates families wanting shorter sessions as well as those wanting a complete preschool day, with lunch included in the attendance period for those staying longer.

Normal session changes require four weeks' notice; ad-hoc additions need written email agreement at least 48 hours beforehand. Families with changing work schedules need to plan ahead.

Applications and visit arrangements go through the preschool administrator. The term calendar includes half-term breaks and INSET closures, so childcare planning needs to account for days outside the usual weekly pattern.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15 hours and 30 hours of funded childcare are offered where applicable, alongside privately paid hours. Attendance follows the term-time timetable. Families should obtain current prices in the preschool's written quotation; the fees and admissions page explains the charging structure.

Families provide packed lunches, while snacks and milk carry a separate charge within the voluntary consumables fee, billed termly; dairy- and gluten-free alternatives can be provided, and the preschool has a nut- and sesame-free policy. This means lunch preparation remains a home responsibility even when a child attends for the full day.

The voluntary consumables fee also covers craft materials, sun lotion and activities such as music and cooking. Parents supply nappies and wipes when needed, and bring sun cream as part of their child's belongings. There is a registration charge, part of which is credited against the first bill or refunded when the child starts.

Getting There

Church car-park use is restricted to collection and drop-off, and parking is limited. Walking or public transport is encouraged, so families driving need to fit their parking around those permitted periods.

• Curriculum consistency. In January 2026, staff understanding and implementation of the curriculum were uneven. At a visit, ask how planning now translates into activities that extend learning across its different areas.
• Toileting and the younger intake. The January 2026 privacy concern matters alongside admission from age two. Ask to see the toileting arrangements and discuss how nappy care works, including taking used nappies home.
• A term-time commitment. At least two sessions a week are required, with four weeks' notice for changes to normal sessions. Weigh the morning, afternoon and full-day options against holiday cover and the predictability of your weekly schedule.
• Lunches and allergies. Packed lunches come from home and snacks sit within the voluntary consumables charge. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling practice and the suitability of alternatives before starting.

St Paul's suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, or a full preschool day within a term-time calendar, who value outdoor play and opportunities to participate in a community charity. The meadow, courtyard activities and key-person relationship give that choice substance.

The January 2026 inclusion judgement is a strength, but curriculum consistency and toileting privacy deserve direct answers. The right fit depends on those arrangements as well as enthusiasm for the shared-hall setting, parent involvement and practical responsibilities around lunches and nappy supplies.