Seedlings Pre School Woking

A garden children can move into freely, woodland across the road and a purpose-built preschool room give Seedlings its character. Based at St Johns Memorial Hall in Woking, this family-owned setting takes children aged two to four and has 28 places in total. Play extends beyond the hall: St John’s Lye supplies material for nature activities, while trips to the Co-op turn an ordinary shopping errand into part of the day.

At its July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Seedlings Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities, made good progress. Two teaching priorities temper that positive picture: giving children longer to answer questions and recognising when they need emotional help to participate.

Attendance runs during school terms, with morning and afternoon sessions that can be combined. This is a preschool built around term-time routines rather than year-round attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Reading, construction, sensory exploration, imaginative play and art activities take place in a purpose-built space with free-flow outdoor access. Children can choose between indoor activity and the garden, rather than waiting for a single outdoor slot. Weather extremes can limit that freedom.

The garden has memory foam cushioned artificial grass and space for running and exploration, extending children’s choices beyond indoor play.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care here. In parent terms, that means play supports communication, early number skills, physical development and learning to manage relationships, rather than being separate from learning.

In July 2024, number work grew out of practical play: children counted water added to a jug and spoonfuls of soil placed in cake cases. Story sessions involved predicting what might happen next, while conversations during play introduced vocabulary and gave children opportunities to express ideas. These examples show how familiar materials can carry substantial learning.

There was also a clear limitation in July 2024: staff sometimes stacked questions together instead of leaving enough thinking time. That matters because a child’s answer tells an adult what they understand; rushing the exchange can obscure it. The development priority was about the way adults teach, rather than simply adding more activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

St John’s Lye and its surrounding woodland are across the road. Nature activities include collecting frog spawn in spring and making pictures from found objects. A Co-op visit can supply biscuits for a picnic; other outings include feeding fish and watching trains. These are concrete opportunities to connect play with the neighbourhood.

Christmas brings a trip to post letters to Santa, with a playground stop afterwards. In July 2024, regular visits to local shops and to feed ducks also gave staff opportunities to discuss road crossing and safety near water. The local setting becomes part of the learning, with everyday destinations carrying practical lessons.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with at least two half-hour visits: a parent stays for the first, and the child attends the second independently. If that is insufficient, the key worker and family agree an individual plan. Staff call parents when a child becomes distressed during settling and discuss the next step with them. The arrangement gives families a defined starting point while allowing the pace to change.

Each child has a key worker responsible for supporting and following their development. EYworks, the nursery management app, gives parents access to learning observations, messages, photographs, announcements and invoices. Staff upload selected observations each term rather than documenting every interaction, and an annual profile describes how the child enjoys and uses their time at preschool. Parents can arrange a consultation with their key worker at a mutually convenient time.

Continuity is supported by a policy of using no agency staff. The team includes a designated safeguarding lead, a SENCO, an assistant SENCO and a speech and language co-ordinator. These are identifiable responsibilities within the setting, rather than a general promise about support.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff assessed learning gaps, worked with professionals such as speech and language therapists and provided targeted support, but sometimes missed children’s need for emotional help to join activities. That qualification is important for a child who needs encouragement before entering group play.

Children can attend while still wearing nappies. Families and staff work together on toilet training, with child-sized toilets, a training seat and a potty for children who feel anxious about using the toilet. Behaviour guidance centres on explaining how actions affect others; the setting avoids time out and other approaches that isolate a child.

Parents supply packed lunches, which are kept without refrigeration; snacks incur a separate charge, with the alternative of bringing one from home. Meal planning therefore needs to account for both the food supplied by families and how lunch will be stored.

Sessions and Attendance

The setting address is St Johns Memorial Hall, St Johns Lye, Woking, Surrey, GU21 7SQ. Seedlings operates Monday to Friday for 38 weeks, following school terms. Morning sessions run from 9am to midday, and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Children can attend either session or combine both, with lunch club between midday and 12.30pm; early drop-off runs from 8.30am to 9am.

A minimum of three sessions each week is recommended to support settling and relationships; it is a recommendation rather than a stated compulsory booking minimum. Enrolment and waiting-list enquiries use the enquiry form or office email. The waiting list follows enquiry order, with priority for siblings of children already attending. Up to eight places per session are allocated to two-year-olds, a session age limit rather than a separate room capacity.

Funding and Paid Extras

Seedlings accepts 15- and 30-hour funding, including working-parent funding for two-year-olds and Free Early Education Funding (FEET) for Two Year Olds. Delivery is term-time. Core funded sessions carry no additional session charge; unused funding can cover early drop-off or lunch club, but those periods attract a separate surcharge. Eligibility applications are required for the working-parent and extended entitlements.

Private sessions are also offered. Obtain current prices in a written quotation from the nursery; the sessions and pricing page sets out the charge structure. A reservation and registration charge is payable after a place is confirmed and before enrolment begins.

A weekly voluntary contribution supports additional activities, special events, learning-app services and sun cream. Families may decline it and are asked to tell the setting before attendance starts. Consumables have different arrangements: parents bring nappies and wipes, while sun cream for children staying all day falls within the additional services supported by the voluntary contribution. For a single session, parents apply sun cream beforehand; a child who needs an allergy alternative brings their own.

Getting There

A car park sits opposite the hall; families may park there subject to its waiting-time limit. Parking is also possible on nearby roads, but families are asked to avoid yellow lines and pavements outside the hall.

• Term-time fit. Attendance covers 38 weeks, with mornings, afternoons and combined sessions. Match that calendar to your family’s childcare needs before choosing a pattern.
• Participation and thinking time. The July 2024 priorities concerned rushed questioning and missed emotional support. During a visit, ask how staff now give quieter children time to answer and help them join activities.
• Settling and support. Short introductory visits can develop into an individual plan with the key worker. Use a show-around to discuss your child’s separation needs and any involvement from the SENCO or speech and language co-ordinator.
• Lunch and additional charges. Packed lunches remain unrefrigerated, and funded early drop-off and lunch club attract a surcharge. Review the written quotation alongside snack choices and the voluntary contribution, so the combined-session arrangement fits your budget and food needs.

Seedlings suits families seeking term-time morning care, afternoon attendance or a combination of both, with a garden children can access freely and neighbourhood outings that extend play beyond the hall. Its structured settling arrangements and EYworks communication give parents concrete ways to stay involved.

The July 2024 teaching priorities deserve attention, especially for children who need more processing time or encouragement to participate. The strongest practical fit is for families comfortable with school-term attendance, packed lunches and a charge structure that distinguishes core funded sessions from the periods around them.