All Saints Pre School

A church hall, an enclosed garden and a keyworker for each child give All Saints Pre School a clear character: a term-time preschool where play and individual development sit alongside preparation for school. Based at All Saints Church on Cissbury Drive in Worthing, it welcomes children aged two to five and has 41 places in total. The main hall and meeting room provide indoor space, with an adjoining garden for outdoor play.

The overall inspection judgement on 14 January 2022 was Good. That judgement provides a useful foundation, but the detail matters more: children helped choose resources, used stories in their play and received support tailored to their development. There were also improvements to make in children's independence and staff supervision.

Full-day, morning and afternoon attendance patterns are offered during term time. For parents, the combination of a designated keyworker, an online learning journal and planned conversations about development gives several ways to follow a child's experience beyond the session itself.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, that means staff use play and observations to plan activities around what children are learning and what they need to practise next. It is the shared early-years foundation, rather than a separate branded curriculum.

In January 2022, children contributed to decisions about the day's toys during group discussion. Staff demonstrated scissor use, while shaving-foam play prompted conversations about birthdays and cakes. These examples connect practical skills with language: children had something to do, something to describe and an opportunity to hear other children's ideas.

Books also supported participation in January 2022. Children paired puppets with story characters and anticipated familiar parts of Dear Zoo. The activity went beyond listening quietly. Remembering what came next and joining in gave children opportunities to practise recall and spoken language through a familiar story.

Movement between the younger and older rooms depended on developmental readiness in January 2022. That distinction matters for a child whose confidence or communication develops at a different pace from their age alone. The approach considered readiness for the next stage rather than treating a birthday as the only signal to move.

Outdoor and Community Life

The adjoining garden is fully enclosed, giving outdoor play its own space alongside the church hall accommodation. An annual farm trip adds an experience away from preschool; staff support is increased for the outing and parents may help. Planning for these visits includes children's individual needs, with necessary aids or medication taken along.

All Saints Baby & Toddler Group is a separate opportunity for younger children and their adults, rather than a preschool place for babies. It meets on Monday mornings from 9.30am to 11am during term time in the Donald Rose Room, adjoining the preschool hall. Toys and a secure outdoor space support play, while the shared location lets families become familiar with the setting before preschool age.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a keyworker responsible for assessments and reports. Tapestry, the online learning journal, gives parents individual access to photographs and videos of their child's activities. Regular discussions cover development and next steps, so the journal is supported by conversation rather than serving as the only contact between home and preschool.

The Welcome Pack gathers information about a child's strengths and needs before staff plan support. Settling arrangements can include a later start or earlier finish where this helps the move from home to preschool. Stay and Play lets parents take part in a typical session, providing another way to understand the routines their child experiences.

School transition has practical steps attached. Staff meet the child's future Reception teacher, involve parents and share learning journals or Individual Plans. They also support contact with new teachers, whether through a preschool visit or a visit to the new school. This is preparation and information sharing, not an admissions advantage.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Two SENCOs support children with additional needs. The process begins with observations and conversations with parents, and can lead to specialist advice or a referral with parental permission. Individual Plans bring together targets, outside-agency input and regular reviews. Resources can be adapted, including seating or computer equipment where appropriate, making the support tangible rather than simply a general promise of inclusion.

Links include the Early Childhood Service and SALT (Speech & Language Therapy Service), which provide routes to advice about development and communication. Inclusion funding may be sought for individual support or resources. The building has sloped access to its entrance and garden, a disabled toilet and small steps for children's use at toilets and wash basins.

At the January 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support skilful, with staff using pictures, gestures and advance warnings before activities ended to help children participate. These are dated findings. Current arrangements include a child protection officer role held by the deputy manager, paediatric first aid training and DBS checks for staff; those arrangements describe the systems in place rather than replacing the inspection judgement.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, for 38 weeks during term time. The attendance options are a six-hour full day, three-hour morning or afternoon sessions, or a combination. The opening window and the booked pattern are separate practical details: parents can choose between a longer session and shorter attendance rather than assuming the whole opening day is the only option.

Applications are accepted for children aged two to five. Reserving a place requires a completed registration form, and there is no registration fee. When requests exceed capacity, the waiting-list order gives first consideration to children already attending who want more sessions, then siblings of existing children, followed by new children in application order. This is a standing rule, not an indication of current vacancies.

Getting There

The address is All Saints Church Hall, Cissbury Drive, Findon Valley, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 0DT. Parking is available in the church car park outside the preschool. Enquiries can be made by email to allsaintspreschool@live.co.uk or by telephone on 07742 391278.

Funding and Paid Extras

Universal Free Entitlement funding is offered for children aged three and over, alongside 15 hours funding for eligible two-year-olds and provision for children entitled to 30 hours funding. Delivery is term-time. Eligibility conditions apply to the two-year-old entitlement, so this should not be read as universal funded access for that age group.

Funded entitlement carries no administration fee or deposit. Private charges apply when a child is ineligible for funding or has used their entitlement. Families should obtain a current written quotation for those paid hours, keeping the funded portion and any additional attendance separate.

• Term-time fit. Attendance runs for 38 weeks, with a choice of full-day, morning and afternoon patterns. Families needing care through school holidays will need an arrangement that covers those weeks too.
• Independence and staff development. In January 2022, adults sometimes completed manageable tasks such as coats and aprons for children, and supervision meetings had become infrequent. At a visit, ask how children now practise these skills and how staff coaching is organised.
• The funded attendance package. Funding and additional paid hours follow different charging conditions.
• Joining and settling. Visits can be arranged by calling 07742 391278, and the waiting-list order favours existing children requesting more sessions before siblings and new applicants. Use the visit to discuss how the keyworker and settling pattern would support your child's particular needs.

All Saints suits families seeking term-time preschool with a choice between six-hour full days and shorter morning or afternoon sessions. Its church hall accommodation, enclosed garden and keyworker system give the offer a clear shape, while Tapestry and planned development discussions help parents stay involved.

The January 2022 findings make children's independence and staff coaching useful points for a visit. Alongside those caveats, the practical detail is substantial: individual support plans, specialist-service links and contact with future Reception teachers describe how care and school preparation are organised. The strongest fit is for parents who value those working relationships as much as the attendance pattern.