Magical Moments Preschool

A garden used in wet weather, a reading nook and play that turns everyday interests into learning give Magical Moments Preschool its character. This Westfield setting in Woking takes children aged two to five and has capacity for 32 children. Its offer centres on play, with space for stories, sensory exploration and physical activity rather than a day built around formal lessons.

At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the preschool Good and found safeguarding effective, with prompt support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The important qualification was online safety: families needed more help understanding the risks children encounter on devices at home. That is a specific improvement point to keep in view alongside the positive judgement.

Morning and afternoon sessions serve families seeking shorter attendance, while the standard day provides another pattern. The term-time calendar is an equally important part of the choice: this is care organised around the academic year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the framework for learning, development and care, covering communication, physical skills, relationships and early literacy and mathematics. Here, children work on those areas through play: painting, construction, stories and pretend situations give them reasons to talk, experiment and cooperate. The framework is the common foundation; the useful detail is how the day puts it into practice.

A home corner supports role-play, while towers, paint mixing and sand give children practical problems to investigate. Adults observe the activity before adding a question or suggestion. The point is to extend a child's thinking while leaving them involved in solving the problem, rather than supplying the answer immediately.

In November 2023, an interest in teddy bears led to picture-making with paint and pom-poms. A pretend shop brought numbers into conversation as staff played customers and children discussed prices. These examples show how an existing interest can become an opportunity for hand control, creativity or mathematical language, rather than requiring a separate formal exercise.

Another November 2023 activity paired insects preserved in resin with a reference book. Children could compare what they saw with information on the page and talk through their discoveries. Emergency-service vehicles supplied a different route into learning, with counting and matching vehicles to their stations. The materials were concrete; the conversations extended beyond simply naming them.

Current activities include model-making, phonics games, shared reading, singing, dancing and rhythm workshops. Collaborative games give children practice in sharing, while sand, water and textured mixtures invite experimentation. These are different ways into participation: a child can communicate through movement or making as well as through conversation.

Outdoor and Community Life

The secure garden is used daily, including in rainy weather, and families are encouraged to send wellies and waterproof clothing. An outside classroom and playground make outdoor activity part of the learning space. For children who enjoy moving and handling materials, that offers a change of scale from indoor play.

Bikes, scooters and climbing frames support movement, while wooden blocks, tyres and crates become construction materials for dens and obstacle courses. Bug hunts bring attention to worms and spiders; planting, watering flowers and sometimes growing vegetables introduce children to changes in living things. The outdoor offer combines energetic activity with slower observation.

Sensory experiences also belong to the daily routine. Water tables and dedicated messy-play stations sit alongside opportunities to investigate textures in the garden. Aprons are provided, and clothes suitable for getting messy are recommended. Families should expect hands-on activity to be part of an ordinary preschool day.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is approached with family involvement and a pace suited to the individual child. Family photographs can be displayed to provide a familiar connection during the day, and parents are contacted if their child remains distressed. That gives families a concrete communication commitment during a potentially difficult transition.

In November 2023, staff built their understanding of key children through observation, conversation and information from parents. Families received updates about development and ideas for continuing learning at home. This connects care with planning: knowing what interests a child helps staff choose an activity that offers a useful next step.

The preschool also provides practical ideas for learning at home, including conversation during cooking, sorting household items and discussing characters' feelings in stories. These activities use ordinary routines rather than requiring specialist equipment. For parents wanting continuity between home and preschool, the emphasis is on small, manageable opportunities to talk and practise skills.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The Thrive Approach is an addition to the EYFS provision, supported by further staff training and intended to help children recognise feelings and develop emotional resilience. Its purpose is social and emotional support, rather than a separate academic programme. Families interested in that aspect of care can explore its day-to-day use during a visit.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator acted promptly on developmental concerns, worked with parents and other agencies, and used additional funding effectively, including garden changes supporting physical activity. The practical detail matters: support included connecting words with objects and adapting the environment, alongside arranging referrals.

Children do not need to be fully toilet trained before attending. Accessible child-sized toilets, regular prompts and coordination with the home routine support growing independence; parents supply spare clothes and wipes. This makes the toilet-training position clear for families of younger children.

Fruit and vegetables are offered as healthy snacks during each session. The provision gives children a regular opportunity to encounter these foods during their preschool day.

School preparation includes practising social skills and independence, with a summer-term handover to local schools. Transition Records pass information about interests and development to the new teacher; stories about starting school and trying on uniforms in role-play make the change more familiar. The Preschool & School Readiness Checker is a separate parent tool covering independence, communication, social and motor skills, rather than a school admission assessment.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Morning and afternoon sessions can accommodate funded hours, and the standard day runs from 9am to 3pm. These patterns give families a choice between shorter attendance and a school-day window.

The preschool operates for 38 weeks, following a term-time calendar aligned with Surrey County Council terms, and closes during school holidays and on bank holidays. Inset days and emergency closures are communicated by email. Families using the setting alongside employment need a separate plan for the holiday periods and any additional closure days.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form. A signed registration form is required, and allocation prioritises siblings and children in the Westfield catchment. These are preschool allocation rules, so they should be kept separate from any later primary-school application.

Getting There

The address is Woking Adult Learning Centre, Bonsey Lane, Woking, GU22 9PP, on the Westfield Primary School site. Onsite parking is provided, which gives families a parking option at the setting.

Attending this preschool does not guarantee a Reception place at Westfield Primary School. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process; sharing a site and preparing children for school do not replace that application.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered on a term-time basis, including the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, extended funding for eligible working families, FEET funding for eligible two-year-olds and the working-parent entitlement for two-year-olds. The morning and afternoon arrangements allow funded attendance to be fitted around shorter sessions. Eligibility remains a condition of the relevant entitlement.

Private hours and lunch clubs also form part of the offer, with current prices supplied in the preschool's written quotation. Parents provide wipes for toilet-training care. The parent contract terms set out advance monthly or termly invoicing, with fees continuing during sickness and family holidays.

A non-refundable registration charge may apply, excluding fully funded places. Ending a place or reducing sessions requires at least four weeks of written notice counted during term time; insufficient notice leaves the notice-period fees payable. This is a meaningful planning point for families whose childcare needs may change during a holiday.

• Term-time coverage. The 38-week calendar and 9am to 3pm opening window need to fit the family's wider care arrangements. Holiday cover belongs in the decision from the outset.
• Online safety. The November 2023 improvement point concerned helping parents and children understand online risks. Ask what guidance now connects preschool learning with device use at home.
• A visit with a purpose. Ask how the Thrive Approach is used during ordinary play and how settling would be paced for your child. For funded attendance, request a written breakdown of lunch, snack and consumable arrangements alongside the session plan.
• Changing attendance. Four weeks of written notice, counted in term time, applies to reducing sessions as well as leaving. Advance invoices and fees during absence make the contract relevant even when a child is away.

Magical Moments suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting a standard school-day pattern during term time. Daily garden use, practical play materials and explicit toilet-training support give the offer substance, while the Thrive Approach adds an emphasis on emotional development. The Good judgement from November 2023 supports that picture, with online safety remaining the specific point to discuss. The decisive practical question is whether the calendar and opening window fit the family's routine.