St. Gabriel's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a nurturing environment where they plan a varied curriculum to enable children to be well prepared for school by the time they leave the setting. Children show high levels of confidence and are motivated in their learning. For example, children match numbers on a series of elephants to the corresponding number and sort them into colours and sizes with confidence. This develops their mathematical skills. Younger children are growing in independence and confidence, and staff encourage them to express their needs, such as they would like to go outside or have their snack. Staff know the children very well and talk with confidence about what each child knows and what they need to learn next. Younger children use crates and planks of wood to build an obstacle course. Initially, staff provide support, holding the child's hand until they become more confident. Children show great pride as they go round by themselves, climbing up and down on the crates and balancing on the boards.

Children behave well. Staff are positive role models and give clear messages to children about what they need to do, for example sharing. Staff give the children stickers and write on their achievement so that parents can celebrate with them. This also builds children's self-esteem.

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

• Children have good opportunities to develop their large- and small-muscle control and core strength. For example, staff do not routinely put chairs at the table, enabling children to stand at activities to develop their core strength as they play with dough and create pictures with the art and craft material. In the garden, they have equipment that they can balance on and climb up and through, and they enjoy running races with the staff, developing their fitness.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents report that their children are making good progress and that staff know their children well. Parents state that their children are being well prepared for school. They feel the communication between the staff and themselves is good and that there is an open-door policy where they can talk to staff anytime about anything.
• In general, staff interaction is good and supports children in making good progress. However, on occasion, staff are not consistent in helping children and extending their learning. For example, children play in the mud kitchen, and staff miss opportunities to extend their learning, for example counting how many scoops of soil it takes to fill their saucepan.
• The key-person system works well. Staff build good relationships with their key children's parents and carers. They regularly talk about children's progress and activities that can be done at home to support children's learning further.
• The manager is inspirational and keen to enable all staff to reach their full potential. She role models good practice and has provided in-house training on how to be a good practitioner and on in-the-moment planning. This has enabled staff to understand how to use children's current interests to plan activities that help them make good progress. Staff value the manager's knowledge and feel well supported by her.
• Children with additional needs are well supported by the knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo works closely with other agencies, staff and the parents to make sure children get targeted support to help them make the best progress.
• Staff place a high emphasis on supporting children's communication and language development. Staff working with the younger children talk about what they are doing and model language. Children enjoy listening to well-read stories, and staff encourage them to retell the story using their own words.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to develop a more consistent approach to extending children's learning to support children to remain engaged, focused and to concentrate for longer periods of time in their self-chosen activities.