St Nicholas Pre School Playgroup Hurst

Mud potions, homemade sledges and water-counting experiments give this village-hall preschool its character in the March 2022 account of daily life. Play had a practical purpose: children tested ideas, used their imaginations and learnt to manage physical challenges.

Ofsted rated St Nicholas Pre School Playgroup Hurst Good at its March 2022 inspection. Based at The Small Village Hall in Hurst, it has 26 places in total; the children attending in March 2022 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and learning together with their everyday wellbeing.

In March 2022, children could choose between indoor and outdoor play and reach resources themselves. Mud, leaves and flowers became ingredients for imaginative experiments, while easel painting gave them another way to express ideas. Being able to select materials gave children an active part in deciding what to do.

Mathematics was hands-on that March. Children predicted how much water a container would hold, then counted scoops to test their estimates. Careful pouring also exercised coordination. Shared activities included books, songs, weighing objects and learning about animals, although larger gatherings did not involve every child equally.

Outdoor play in March 2022 included football, balancing on crates and wooden beams, and moving loaded wheelbarrows. Children also slid downhill on plastic mats while practising speed control and taking turns. These were opportunities to combine movement with judgement about safety.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff working with parents and outside agencies to meet individual needs, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and using additional funding to support progress towards school.

In March 2022, staff helped children work through disagreements and find solutions themselves. Conversations introduced vocabulary and encouraged children to describe their interests. However, adults did not always pause long enough for children to consider questions and respond. That matters for children who need longer to formulate their ideas.

Staff training opportunities were also part of the March 2022 picture, with practitioners reporting that they felt supported in their work.

The address is The Small Village Hall, School Road, Hurst, READING, RG10 0DR.

In March 2022, opening hours were 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during school terms. At that time, the preschool received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. These are dated operating details rather than a current attendance offer.

• Participation in group activities. In March 2022, larger gatherings left some children less involved. On a visit, ask how shared activities now give each child a chance to contribute.
• Time to think. The March 2022 recommendation was to give children longer to think and answer questions. Ask how practitioners support children who take more time to respond.
• Attendance fit. The March 2022 timetable was term-time, within a 9am to 3pm opening window. What attendance arrangements would fit your family's week now?

For families drawn to practical, imaginative preschool play, the March 2022 picture offers useful strengths: independent choices, outdoor challenges and mathematics through experimentation. The dated term-time model would suit a family organising care around school terms. The two teaching priorities, fuller participation and more thinking time, deserve attention alongside that positive inspection judgement.