St John's Pre-School,

Last updated: 18/09/2023

Based at St John's church in the heart of Newbury, St John's Pre-School follows the Curiosity Approach philosophy, meaning we surround our children with resources that inspire curiosity, awe and wonder. We are a forward thinking setting with a dedicated, highly qualified team who create beautiful environments for our incredible children.

We aim to inspire our children to be inquisitive and curious, creating the 'thinkers and doers' of the future.

Children are supported to be 'school ready' when they leave gaining independence, confidence, developing a 'can do' attitude and recognising what they are 'Expert' at. Children also develop the ability to enjoy their peers' interests and capabilities.

We are proud to have achieved another 'Good' rating from Ofsted in our most recent inspection in November 2022. 

We provide free (subject to funding criteria) and paid for childcare from 15-30 hours per week for 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds. We operate during school term-time. 

We pride ourselves on the wide range of experiences we give children in our care, from weekly yoga sessions, weekly Hartbeeps music and sensory classes to weekly walks in the community.

Our child-led approach and ethos results in children being able to follow their interests and explore the world around them. We set Pre-School up to enable free-flow from our inside space to the dedicated, outside space to encourage independence and interaction.

We actively involve parents, carers and grandparents at Pre-School. We hold regular 'Stay and Play' sessions to give the opportunity to participate in activities with their children. We utilise the Tapestry online learning journal system to enable families to share in their child's learning and progress.

We promote healthy eating and provide healthy choices for children at snack times and have a daily fruit cafe.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Hannah Millson
Contact Position
Manager
Telephone
07814 155110
01635 46467
E-mail
stjohnspreschoolmanager@hotmail.co.uk
Website
saintjohnspreschool.co.uk/

Where to go

Name
St. Johns Pre-School St. Richard Room,St. John's Church,
Address
St Richard's Room, St John's Church
St John's Road
Newbury
Berkshire
Postcode
RG14 7PR

Other Details

Costs

Table of costs
Table of costs
AmountCost Type
£5.00 per hour
£30 Registration fee
Details
Our hourly charge is £5 with an added £0.60 per session in snack fees. We charge an additional £5.50 per half-term in maintenance fees and Hartbeeps and Rugby Tots sessions are charged at £3 per session each.

Inclusion Information

Dietary Needs

Has Provision
Yes
Details
We are a nut free setting and aim to cater for all dietary requirements

Childcare Information

Vacancies

Immediate vacancies
Details
We are taking bookings for September 2024. We are currently running a waiting list for September 2023 onward.
Date updated
15/09/2023
Vacancy range(s)
Vacancy range(s)
PlacesStart AgeEnd Age
0 2 2
0 3 4

Funded Places

3 & 4 year old funding
2 year old funding

30 Hours Extended Entitlements

Are you intending to provide 30 Hours?
Yes
Are you registered to provide 30 Hours?
Yes
30 Hour Partner Summary
We offer up to 16 3-5 year old spaces per session and up to 8 2 year old spaces.

Waiting List

Do you have a waiting list?
Yes

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 08:30 14:30
Tuesday 08:30 14:30
Wednesday 08:30 14:30
Thursday 08:30 14:30
Friday 08:30 14:30

School Pickups

Offers pickups

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
511119
Link to latest ofsted inspection report 
Inspection history
Inspection History
Inspection DateInspection typeInspection Outcome
30/11/2022Inspection (Early Years Register)Good
26/04/2017Inspection (Early Years Register)Good
23/03/2015Inspection (Early Years Register)Good
06/05/2010Inspection (Early Years Register)Good
27/04/2007IntegratedGood

Local Offer

Description

Based at St John's church in Newbury's heart, St John's Pre-School follows the Curiosity Approach philosophy, meaning we surround our children with resources that inspire curiosity, awe and wonder. We are a forward thinking setting with a dedicated, graduate-led team who create beautiful environments for our incredible children.

We aim to inspire our children to be inquisitive and curious, creating the 'thinkers and doers' of the future.

Children are supported to be 'school ready' when they leave gaining independence, confidence, developing a 'can do' attitude and recognising what they are 'Expert' at. Children also develop the ability to enjoy their peers' interests and capabilities.

We are proud to have achieved another 'Good' rating from Ofsted in our most recent inspection in November 2022. 

We provide free (subject to funding criteria) and paid for childcare from 15-30 hours per week for 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds. We operate during school term-time.

We pride ourselves on the wide range of experiences we give children in our care, from weekly yoga sessions, weekly Hartbeeps music and sensory classes to weekly walks in the community.

Our child-led approach and ethos results in children being able to follow their interests and explore the world around them. We set Pre-School up to enable free-flow from our inside space to the dedicated, outside space to encourage independence and interaction.

We actively involve parents, carers and grandparents at Pre-School. We hold regular 'Stay and Play' sessions to give the opportunity to participate in activities with their children. We utilise the Tapestry online learning journal system to enable families to share in their child's learning and progress.

We promote healthy eating and provide healthy choices for children at snack times and have a daily fruit cafe.

Contact Name
Hannah Millson
Contact Telephone
01635 46467
Contact Email
stjohnspreschoolmanager@hotmail.co.uk
Links
St John's Pre-School website
SEN Provision Type
Medical, Specific Literacy Difficulties, Speech & Language Difficulties, Behavioural, Emotional & Social Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Physical Disability, Hearing Impairment, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Visual Impairment
Local Offer Age Bands
1 to 4
Needs Level
Low

Early Years Private, Voluntary & Independent Settings

1: How does the setting identify children with additional needs or SEND?

Every child is allocated a dedicated key-person when they start in our setting. The key-person establishes a positive relationship with the family as well as the child and will take any worries from the family into consideration when providing care for any child. Each key-person does their own observations and individual planning for each of their key-children as well as tracking their progress throughout each term. If they feel that a child is not progressing as they would expect, they will share this information with the SENCO of the setting in the way of a professional discussion, and the SENCO will then do some additional observations.

2: How will I be informed / consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported?

We would invite parents to join us for an open discussion so we can all share our observations. This will hopefully give us all a better picture of common behaviours we have noticed. We would then work together to find suitable ways of supporting the child. If we all agree that a child would benefit from some additional support, we would then set up an Early Years Support and Achievement Plan (SAPP). This is a beautiful document as it focusses on the positive and the child's strength as well as long-term goals. It sets out what we are hoping to achieve, how we will strive to achieve it and what each of us can do to support our common goals. We would also set a date to review this plan, enabling us to adjust support and care as required. Depending on how first support is working, we may also suggest parents or carers take children to be seen by other professionals, often their own GP or the open Speech and Language support clinic (CYPIT). The legal guardians of a child will be at all times informed and consulted and we will always work on joined strategies.

3: How will the setting adapt the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for my child's needs?

We believe that all children are individual and should be treated accordingly. Therefore, experiences and opportunities would be adapted appropriately to each child's abilities. We would support progression in their development at a level that is relevant to each child and gives them challenging yet achievable goals to work towards.

4: What teaching strategies does the setting use for children with additional needs or learning difficulties?

We have a variety of strategies in place, such as visual and sensory aids. To us, the most important strategy in place, however, is each child's key-person. This person will be working towards each child's achievements alongside them and will provide appropriately challenging and inspiring play opportunities for their key-children through their individual planning.

5: What additional support does the setting provide for children with additional needs or SEND?

We have a higher staff ratio than required in our setting, which helps staff spend more time with the children in their care. We also run Hartbeeps music and sensory sessions, Tots Create sessions and yoga sessions, each of which focus on sensory stimuli and implements some aspects of occupational therapy. Where required, we have applied for additional funding to support children on a one-to-one basis for a set amount of hours each week

6: How will the setting monitor my child's progress and how will I be involved in this?

We track each child's development and hold regular parents meetings to discuss each child's progress. If a child has additional support in place (such as a SAPP), we hold additional meetings with the legal guardians to discuss the progress that has been made and adjust our approach as and when necessary. Furthermore, we have daily communication opportunities at drop off and pick up times and are always happy to arrange for additional meetings. Progress can also be shared via the child's diary, which is the parents' direct communication link with their child's key-person. The diary is brought into preschool and returned home every day. Parents also have access to our online learning platform Tapestry and will be sent home their learning stories at least once every half-term so families are always aware of what their child is working towards, why and how. We also operate an open door policy - parents and carers are welcome and encouraged to sign join us anytime in session

7: How do you ensure children with additional needs or SEND can be included in the same activities as other children, including trips?

We staff outings and other extra-curricular activities according to attendance, which means if a child needs more support, we will provide extra staff to do so or offer the parents/carers to come along (or both). As we plan for each child individually, each key-person would ensure that every child can be included in group activities and adjust these according to each child's ability.

8: How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties / wheelchair users?

Our setting is all on one level with ramps and no stairs. We have a disabled toilet and all doors in the setting are double doors, allowing extra room to pass through

9: How will you support my child's transition to a new setting or school?

Once schools have confirmed a child's place, we contact them to arrange for visits from staff of each school. Where possible, we also take children for visits to their new settings alongside their key-person. Additional school visits can be arranged for children who require a slower phased approach. We discuss the changes ahead through play (for example providing school uniforms for dressing up), group discussions ("what do we know about school?"), displays (allowing children to see photographs of their new schools, as well as which children from our setting will join them) and craft activities (for example making school bags and discussing what might go in them).

10: How does the setting assess the overall effectiveness of its SEN provision and how can parents / carers take part in this evaluation?

Each child's individual progress is discussed in meetings with parents. We encourage parents to share strategies they use at home to ensure a joint approach and similarly to feedback how any strategies we suggested or used at the setting have worked in their opinion. The overall effectiveness is being monitored through observations by staff, which are frequently discussed during staff meetings. In addition, we use a cohort tracker to reflect on all the children's progress and use continuous training to help us find new strategies to try.

11: Who should I contact if I am considering registering for a place at the setting?

The Pre-School Manager

12: What arrangements does the setting have for feedback from parents / carers, including compliments and complaints?

We welcome feedback at all times. This can be given verbally or in writing. If a parent/carer wishes to stay anonymous, we have a feedback box in the hall where written feedback can be left.

In addition, we frequently send out 3 ticks and a wish forms to gather feedback. Furthermore daily diaries act as a tool for sharing information, feedback including compliments and complaints.

Any feedback given will be reviewed by the manager and discussed with staff. Where names are given, we will provide feedback directly. The outcome of general feedback forms and questionnaires will be given in our newsletters and acted on appropriately.

Quality checks

  • DBS check

West Berkshire Council do not promote or endorse any of the services listed in this Directory. For more information on this please read our disclaimer.

Back to top of page