St Barnabas Pre-School, Sutton

Warm relationships and purposeful language work define St Barnabas Pre-School's latest official picture. Ofsted judged the provision Good in November 2023, finding children happy, settled and secure, with close bonds to caring staff. The pre-school is registered as sessional day care at St Barnabas Church Hall, St Barnabas Road, Sutton SM1 4NS.

The setting had 70 registered places in the supplied provider record. Children attending in November 2023 were aged two to four; the pre-school can supply its current entry ages.

Communication runs through the inspected curriculum. Staff narrated play, emphasised words for children to copy and introduced mathematical language while children compared the weights of natural materials. Older children used a word bank to extend their vocabulary. This gives language development a concrete place in everyday activity rather than leaving it to formal group time.

Physical play was equally visible. Children used wheeled toys and turned climbing apparatus into a fire truck through imaginative play. The well-resourced garden was available daily, and staff had redesigned it after monitoring the outdoor space so that activities addressed different areas of learning.

The provision follows the Early Years Foundation Stage: in practical terms, staff observe children's starting points and interests, then sequence experiences across learning, development and care. This planning was effective and the curriculum was ambitious for every child.

The key-person system was highly effective in November 2023. Staff watched children closely, used observations to understand what they knew and planned the next activities from that evidence. Personal, social and emotional development received strong attention, including helping children express feelings.

Support for children with SEND was another clear strength. The special educational needs coordinator worked with staff, classroom and one-to-one interventions followed targets from other professionals, and children were making progress. Safeguarding arrangements were effective: staff understood child-protection procedures, reviewed safeguarding in team meetings and held suitable paediatric first-aid certificates.

There was one useful caution. The improvement recommendation called for staff to become more aware of where best to intervene, because children sometimes became distracted when support was not positioned effectively.

The published term-time day ran from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, in November 2023. The pre-school can supply its current pattern.

In November 2023, the pre-school received free early education funding for children aged two, three and four. A current provider-specific quotation should set out entitlement delivery, meals, consumables and any paid extras.

• Current attendance pattern. The official report records term-time opening hours but not bookable sessions. The pre-school can set out which days and patterns can now be contracted.
• Current costs and inclusions. No current fee or charge terms were available. A written breakdown should cover funded hours, meals, consumables and other extras.
• Staff deployment. The 2023 inspection identified moments when staff could position support more effectively. The response to that recommendation is a useful discussion point.

St Barnabas Pre-School's strongest evidence is about relationships, communication and thoughtful inclusion. The daily garden, vocabulary work and targeted SEND support give families specific reasons to explore it, while the Good judgement provides a positive dated benchmark. It is best suited to families seeking a term-time day from 9am to 3pm who value close key-person relationships, with the current pattern and costs established before a decision.