Pre-School On The Marsh CIC
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Christchurch for from 2 years up to school age, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 2015, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We accept both 2 year old and 3/4 year old government funding for your child’s early years education.
Worth knowing. Consumable charges are in operation for all funded hours used, some special conditions apply. Please see our price list for a full breakdown of costs.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BH23 3NDWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 23 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are eager to start their day. They happily greet staff and quickly find something of interest to play with. Children are engaged and focused within their chosen activities. They show high levels of concentration and follow instructions carefully. Children have opportunities to be independent. They turn the water tap on and off to wash their hands in the forest school and eagerly help to give their friends cups at mealtimes. Children pour their own drinks and serve their food.
Staff create a curriculum that enables children to engage in an activity of their choosing while also supporting their ongoing development. Children learn to manage risks during physical play. For example, older children hammer nails into pumpkins. Opportunities such as these help children to strengthen the small muscles in their hands. Younger children patiently wait in line to have a go on a slackline obstacle course between two trees. They learn how to develop their balance, coordination, and control as children grow in confidence and self-esteem.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager and deputy manager have a strong focus on supporting parents and carers and including them in children's learning. For instance, they offer consistent advice, emotional support, and reassurance when parents and carers need it.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff's teaching strategies, so that children have more opportunities to think about and respond to questions and develop their problem-solving skills n support less experienced staff to provide a more consistent approach to behaviour management to better support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour.
- 23 November 2023Good
- 17 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Pre-School On The Marsh CIC
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.