St. Gabriel's Pre-School

Crates, wooden boards and number-matching elephants give St. Gabriel's Pre-School a practical, playful character. In March 2024, children built an obstacle course and progressed from holding an adult's hand to balancing independently. Small achievements mattered: stickers carried a written account of what children had accomplished, giving parents something concrete to celebrate.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good on 25 March 2024 and found safeguarding effective. Based at St. Gabriels Centre in Poole, it has capacity for 48 children; those attending at the inspection were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the March 2024 activities connected that framework to practical experiences: matching numbered elephants, sorting by size and colour, making pictures and handling dough.

Physical development extended beyond running around. In March 2024, children sometimes stood at activity tables, using their bodies while working with craft materials. The garden offered equipment for climbing and balancing, alongside races with staff. These experiences gave children different ways to practise movement, coordination and independence.

Language also received deliberate attention. During March 2024, practitioners talked through younger children's actions and demonstrated words they could use; story sessions encouraged children to recount events themselves. Planning drew on children's immediate interests, supported by staff training in in-the-moment planning, an approach that uses those interests to shape learning activities.

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements supported relationships with families and that children with additional needs received targeted help through the special educational needs coordinator, working with parents, colleagues and outside agencies.

In March 2024, conversations with parents covered children's development and activities to try at home. Parents could speak to staff through an open-door arrangement. Younger children were encouraged to communicate everyday wishes, including wanting a snack or time outside, while staff reinforced sharing through their own behaviour and clear guidance. This brought communication and independence into ordinary moments of the day.

The address is St. Gabriels Centre, Keysworth Road, Poole, BH16 5BH. In March 2024, opening hours were Monday to Friday, 8am to 3.30pm, and the pre-school accepted early education funding for children aged two, three and four. These are inspection-date arrangements.

• Extending play. In March 2024, staff sometimes missed chances to develop children's ideas, including counting during mud kitchen play. More consistent interaction was the improvement priority, so sustained attention during children's chosen activities deserves consideration.
• Attendance and funding. The March 2024 opening window and funding participation provide a starting point for planning. At a visit, which attendance pattern and funded-hours arrangement would apply to your child?

St. Gabriel's suits families who value practical play, language development and links between home and pre-school. Its March 2024 examples show how everyday materials became opportunities to count, balance and communicate. The balancing point is staff consistency: extending children's chosen play was the clear development priority, alongside the Good judgement.