St. Charles' Catholic Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from the warm and welcoming environment that the staff have created. Staff get to know children well and form positive relationships with them. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure when they seek out staff for support or comfort.

Children confidently explore a range of well-planned indoor and outdoor activities that encourage physical development and experimentation. For example, they play on large climbing equipment, create pretend vehicles with tyres and crates, and explore painting using both brushes and their hands. These experiences help children build confidence and curiosity.

Children learn to behave well and respond positively to staff's guidance. When toys are thrown in the garden, gentle reminders are offered. Staff then set up a beanbag throwing game, skilfully redirecting children's energy. Through these actions, boundaries are reinforced, and a safe, calm environment is maintained.

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

• The management team is passionate about getting it right for all children. They ensure that the curriculum is well planned. Experiences are planned daily based on children's current interests and their next steps in learning. Staff are skilful at engaging children and extending their understanding in the moment, both indoors and outdoors.
• Staff promote children's communication and language development. Children are supported in developing confident speaking skills and encouraged to talk to each other during play. During lunchtime, staff sit with the children and have conversations about their home lives. This supports language development.
• Children access a cosy reading shed outside. Staff sit with the children and read aloud chosen stories. Additionally, staff encourage children to take books home to share with their parents. Therefore, children develop early literacy skills and a love of books both at pre-school and at home.
• Children display high levels of well-being and involvement. Staff plan the environment to promote children's play ideas and extend their learning. For example, as children play imaginatively with small-world figures, they independently access a box of construction items to create pretend houses.
• Staff support children's independence throughout the day. Children learn to pour their own drinks. Staff encourage them to try to open their lunch packaging while offering the correct level of support to those who need it.
• Children make good progress. Staff are quick to identify if children need additional support and put strategies in place to help them. Visual timetables are used to help children understand the daily routines and what is happening next.
• Staff use early years pupil premium funding money purposefully to help children experience different learning opportunities.
• Staff respect and celebrate children's differences. They build children's self-esteem and help them to develop a sense of self. However, staff do not consistently ensure that children who speak English as an additional language have the same opportunities to hear their home language during play.
• Overall, staff promote healthy lifestyles. They provide different fruits for snacks and encourage children to dance to music outside, moving their bodies. However, children are encouraged to bring juice to drink from home, which results in oral health not being promoted as well.
• Staff confirm they feel supported by the management team. They receive regular supervision, where they are encouraged to discuss any concerns, strengths and areas for improvement. Staff undertake training to enhance their knowledge and skills.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Parents comment that staff are amazing and always so supportive. Parents new to the setting praise staff for their excellent support during the settling-in process. Staff use an online app to update parents regarding children's activities and to share photos. This enables parents to see what their children have done that day and helps them to feel included.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen opportunities for children to hear and use their home language during play and learning
• enhance ways to support children's good health, particularly with regard to drinks available.