St Barnabas Pre-School, Sutton

Language, movement and emotional development give this church-hall pre-school its character. Wheeled toys, imaginative climbing play and conversations about the weight of natural objects featured in November 2023, bringing learning into activities children could explore for themselves.

Ofsted rated St Barnabas Pre-School, Sutton Good on 15 November 2023, finding safeguarding effective and children with SEND making progress. Based at St Barnabas Church Hall in Sutton, the setting has capacity for 70 children; those attending in November 2023 were aged two to four.

In November 2023, children explored feelings alongside physical play, with climbing apparatus becoming an imaginary fire engine. Mathematical vocabulary accompanied weighing activities. These examples connect practical experiences with the words children need to describe them.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, its inspection-era expression included stories, movement, conversation and activities planned around children's interests and developmental starting points.

During November 2023, adults described actions and objects during play, while older children used a bank of vocabulary to practise unfamiliar words. Children could use the garden each day, extending activity and conversation outdoors.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified occasions when practitioners missed opportunities to extend learning, leaving children distracted. That qualification matters alongside the positive judgement: choosing when to join children's play was an area requiring further work.

In November 2023, key persons observed what children could already do and used that knowledge to plan their next activities. Discussions with parents helped establish starting points, giving family knowledge a practical role in planning.

Support for children with SEND included classroom interventions and individual sessions in November 2023. A special educational needs coordinator worked with practitioners, and targets came from professionals involved with the children. These are concrete support mechanisms, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Health work also extended beyond physical activity that November. Staff helped children access a local dentist and explained oral health to parents, connecting the pre-school day with habits families could continue at home.

The address is St Barnabas Church Hall, St Barnabas Road, Sutton, SM1 4NS.

In November 2023, opening hours were 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. At that date, the pre-school received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. Those details describe the arrangements at that time.

• Adult involvement in play. The November 2023 improvement point concerned recognising where additional support would extend children's learning. During a visit, explore how practitioners decide when to intervene.
• Term-time planning. The November 2023 timetable followed school terms and finished at 3pm. How would the attendance arrangements fit your family's working week?

For families drawn to language-rich play, physical activity and structured individual support, St Barnabas offers a useful inspection-era picture. Its November 2023 examples are concrete: vocabulary developed through practical tasks, daily garden access and professional targets informing SEND interventions. The missed opportunities to extend learning deserve equal weight when assessing its fit.