St Pauls Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and settle quickly into the familiar routines of the day. They are warmly greeted by staff, who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Relationships between children and adults are nurturing and respectful. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence and independence as they explore the well-organised environment. They are curious, motivated and eager to learn.

Children's views and interests are central to the curriculum. Staff listen carefully to children's ideas and use these to shape learning experiences. For example, they independently created a bus role-play scenario, taking turns as driver and passengers. Staff recognised this as a valuable opportunity to promote communication, cooperation and imaginative play. Children show pride in their achievements and develop a strong sense of belonging.

Children are encouraged to take an active role in daily routines, which helps them grow in confidence and independence. At snack time, for example, they choose and prepare their own fruit, carefully chopping pieces with child-safe tools and chatting with friends as they share. New words like 'juicy' naturally become part of their vocabulary as they talk about what they like at home and discover new tastes together. As a result, they build important life skills, strengthen communication and make meaningful links between learning and their everyday experiences.

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

• Leaders provide strong and stable leadership, even during periods of operational change. Clear contingency plans ensure continuity for children and families. This means children experience a consistent and familiar environment where they feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Staff feel well supported. They describe leaders as approachable and value the regular supervision, training and peer observations. This results in a confident, knowledgeable team that provides high-quality care and education for all children.
• The curriculum is ambitious and designed to include the different needs and interests of all children. It is rooted in child-led learning and tailored to meet individual needs. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from purposeful learning experiences that are closely aligned to their individual interests and developmental starting points.
• Overall, teaching is strong. Staff make the most of children's interests during spontaneous and self-chosen play, helping them to learn more and deepen their understanding. As a result, children enjoy meaningful learning experiences throughout the day. However, staff also offer a range of adult-led group activities, and these are not always fully effective in offering children a good level of challenge.
• Staff set up a wide range of exciting and well-organised activities that encourage children to play with purpose. They use children's favourite stories, like 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', effectively to promote learning. Children eagerly re-enact scenes such as squelching through mud, tiptoeing through the forest and exploring the bear's cave. These activities help them use new words, work together with friends and share their own ideas. As a result, children grow in confidence and develop important communication skills in a way that's fun and meaningful. Staff also support children in making their own choices, helping them to become more independent and confident.
• Children with SEND are well supported. Staff work closely with families and external agencies to ensure the timely identification of any gaps in children's development and to provide the coordinated support needed. This enables children to make progress, and they are fully included in the life of the setting.
• Staff work closely with parents, sharing regular updates and building strong, trusting relationships. This partnership working helps to ensure that children experience consistent care and support across home and the setting. Staff also build strong relationships with staff at the local school, sharing helpful information about the children who will be starting there. They work closely with families to make sure everyone feels informed and involved in the process.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan adult-led activities to build on what children already know and can do to embed and extend their learning further.