St Catherine's Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this very inclusive and welcoming pre-school. Staff know the children very well, and children enjoy positive and nurturing relationships with their key person. Staff identify if a child may need additional support from the outset, and they work well with families and external agencies to ensure that children make progress in their learning.

Opportunities to access nature and the local environment underpin the setting's curriculum intent. Children are encouraged to understand the environment that they live in so they will care about it in the future. They regularly attend forest school and access neighbouring hills and coastlines. All children have highly positive attitudes towards their learning, especially in the outdoors, and are developing age-appropriate levels of curiosity, concentration, resilience and enjoyment. For example, children can be seen building dens, pouring in the mud kitchen, building pulleys and swings, and using tools like hammers and saws. They learn to understand about risks and fire safety.

Children have consistently high levels of respect for each other and are very keen to share and cooperate in both their play and learning. Children demonstrate high levels of self-control even when they encounter difficulties. When children do struggle, staff intervene with swift and effective actions to support them.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders and staff are well aligned in their ambitious vision for the pre-school and how this influences the curriculum on offer. Outdoor learning is the primary driver for these experiences and is the reason why many parents choose the setting. Leaders and staff work collaboratively to evaluate and make improvements to the quality of provision. The well-qualified staff value opportunities for professional development to enhance their skills and the experiences of children. Staff have attended training in mathematical development and delivering forest school activities.
• Relationships among children, parents and staff reveal a positive and respectful culture. Children feel safe and secure. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are exceptionally well supported. Parents describe the setting as being 'unique' and are 'very reassured' by the timely communication they receive at the end of each day on their child's progress and the next steps for learning. They also receive updates through newsletters and emails on how they can support their child's learning at home.
• Children enjoy and listen attentively to familiar stories, rhymes and songs appropriate to their age and stage of development. A love of reading is encouraged, and children confidently select books from a range of genres to share with an adult. Children are challenged to remember the endings of familiar stories and pictures are used to support children making predictions. Children sit around the campfire and sing nursery rhymes that teach them early counting skills. Staff use actions to encourage engagement and different tones of voices to create expression.
• Leaders are clear in the learning they expect to see from activities. All children demonstrate high levels of engagement and enjoyment, while activities hold their attention for a sustained period of time. However, the staff's approach to questioning does not always fully extend the children's thinking and problem-solving skills, meaning that not all children make the best possible progress in their learning.
• Children are well prepared for the next stage in their schooling. The setting has a positive relationship with the school and has a well-planned series of transition opportunities. Children are encouraged to independently change their own clothes and manage their personal hygiene. They have good control and coordination in large- and small-muscle movements, and staff prioritise the development of core stability to support early writing skills.
• Children learn the importance of developing healthy lifestyles. They eat healthy meals and snacks together and enjoy lots of opportunities to be physically active, utilising the school grounds wherever possible.
• Children behave incredibly well, showing consistently positive attitudes to play and learning. Staff are excellent role models and help children to develop respect towards each other and adults.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further improve the precision of staff's questioning to identify misconceptions and provide clear explanations that strengthen children's learning.