AN inspector has praised the “rich variety of learning experiences” available to children at Frenchay Pre-School.
Ofsted visited the pre-school, based at Frenchay Village Hall, in March and found it to be ‘good’ in all areas – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and personal development.
Inspector Victoria Jones also highlighted the “well-structured curriculum” and work of staff to develop children’s confidence in maths, language and physical skills at the pre-school, which has 34 children aged from two to five on its roll.
The inspector said: “Children are happy, secure, form strong friendships with their peers and enjoy playing together.
“There is a well-structured curriculum, which the staff implement effectively, preparing children well for their next stage of learning.
“Staff offer a rich variety of learning experiences, both indoors and outdoors, with a focus on children’s physical development, social skills and emotional intelligence.
“Children have unrestricted access to outdoor play.”
The inspector praised the “strong emphasis” on mathematics, including counting, addition and subtraction, understanding the difference between left and right, recognising shapes and ‘subitising’ – recognising a the number of objects in a small group without counting them.
Work to develop children’s language and communication skills, including support for children with special educational needs or disabilities, was also highlighted by the inspector, with children offered a “wide range of age-appropriate learning experiences”.
The inspector said: “Children are encouraged to develop a love of books and stories and explore experiences beyond their own.
“Staff know the children in their care well, and a good key-person system is in place.”
The report also noted the high morale among staff, “robust” system for reviewing children’s progress and strong links with local schools.
The inspector said: “Parents are happy with the care their children receive and report good progress in their learning and development.”
To improve further, Ofsted said the pre-school should ensure all children are kept settled and engaged at lunchtimes, and provide extra challenges for the older and most able children during group activities.
It was the first time the regulator had visited the pre-school since 2019, when it was also rated good.
Director Lucy Foley said: “We are so pleased with our latest Ofsted report.
“Our staff work hard to enrich the children’s learning and give them the best possible start, so the good rating was well deserved!
“We are really proud of the provision we offer, particularly our dedication to children with SEND.
“We have been a consistently good setting for over 10 years now and have an unusually low staff turnover.
“Children at Frenchay have a fantastic preschool experience and the report reflects that”.